NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1973 SESSION

CHAPTER 1157
HOUSE BILL 1874

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR DISPOSITION OF JUVENILES WITH MENTAL DISORDERS, RETARDATION, OR IMPAIRMENT.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 7A-286(6) as the same appears in the 1973 Cumulative Supplement to Volume 1B of the General Statutes, is amended by striking out the last two sentences thereof and substituting therefor the following language :
"If the court believes, or if there is evidence presented to the effect that the child is mentally ill or is mentally retarded the court shall refer the child to the area mental health director or local mental health director for appropriate action. In no case will a child be committed directly to a State hospital or mental retardation center. The area mental health director or local mental health director shall be responsible for arranging an interdisciplinary evaluation of the child and mobilizing resources to meet the child's needs. If institutionalization is determined to be the best service for the child, then admission shall be with the voluntary consent of the parent or guardian; provided, that the consent of the parent or guardian shall not be required in those cases wherein the alternative to admission to a State Hospital or Mental Retardation Center in the commitment of the child to a juvenile corrections facility."
Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective on July 1, 1974.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 4th day of April, 1974.