NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1977 SESSION

CHAPTER 842
SENATE BILL 230

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A CONSUMER AND ADVOCACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE BLIND.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Part 9 of Article 3 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is hereby repealed and in its place is substituted the following:
"PART 9.
"Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind.
"§ 143B-163.  Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind - creation, powers and duties. — (a) There is hereby created the Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind of the Department of Human Resources.
(b)	The Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind shall advise all State boards, commissions, agencies, divisions, departments, schools, corporations, or other state-administered associations or entities, including the secretary, director and members of said boards, commissions, agencies, divisions, departments, schools, et cetera, on the needs of the citizens of the State of North Carolina who are now or will become visually handicapped or impaired.
(c)	The Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind shall also advise every State board, commission, agency, division, department, school, corporation, or other state-administered associations or entity concerning sight conservation programs that it supervises, administers or controls.
(d)	All State boards, commissions, agencies, divisions, departments, schools, corporations, or other state-administered associations or entities including the secretary, director and members of said State boards, agencies, departments, et cetera, which supervise, administer or control any program for or affecting the citizens of the State of North Carolina who are now or will become visually handicapped or impaired shall inform the Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind of any proposed change in policy, program, budget, rule, or regulation which will affect the citizens of North Carolina who are now or will become visually handicapped or impaired. Said board, commission, et cetera, shall allow the Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind, prior to passage, unless such change is made pursuant to G.S. 150A-13, an opportunity to object to the change and present information and proposals on behalf of the citizens of North Carolina who are now or will become visually handicapped or impaired. This subsection shall also apply to all sight conservation programs of the State of North Carolina.
(e)	Nothing in this statute shall prohibit a board, commission, agency, division, department, et cetera, from implementing any change after allowing the Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind an opportunity to object and propose alternatives. Shifts in budget items within a program or administrative changes in a program required in the day-to-day operation of an agency, department, or school, et cetera, shall be allowed without prior consultation with said committee.
"§ 143B-164.  Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind - members; selection; quorum; compensation. — (a) The Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind of the Department of Human Resources shall consist of the following members:
(1)	President and Vice-President of the National Federation of the Blind of North Carolina;
(2)	President and Vice-President of the North Carolina Council of the Blind;
(3)	President and Vice-President of the North Carolina Association of Workers for the Blind;
(4)	President and Vice-President of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Association of Workers for the Blind;
(5)	Chairman of the State Council of the North Carolina Lions and Executive Director of the North Carolina Lions Association for the Blind, Inc.;
(6)	Chairman of the Concession Stand Committee of the Division of Services for the Blind of the Department of Human Resources;
(7)	Executive Director of the North Carolina Society for the Prevention of Blindness, Inc.
Provided, each officeholder shall serve on the committee only so long as he holds the named position in the specified organization. Upon completion of his term, failure to secure reelection or appointment, or resignation, the individual shall be deemed to have resigned from the committee and his successor in office shall immediately become a member of the committee.
Provided, further, if any of the above organizations dissolve or if any of the above-stated positions no longer exist, then the successor organization or position shall be deemed to be substituted in the place of the former one and the officeholder in the new organization or of the new position shall become a member of the committee.
(b)	A chairman shall be elected by a majority vote of the committee members for a one-year term to coincide with the fiscal year of the State. Provided, the first chairman shall be elected for a term to end June 30, 1978.
Provided, further, if any chairman does not desire or is unable to continue to perform as chairman for any reason, including his becoming ineligible to be a member of the committee as specified in subsection (a), the remaining members shall elect a chairman to fulfill the remainder of his term.
(c)	A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(d)	The committee shall meet once a quarter to act upon any information provided them by any board, commission, agency, division, department, school, et cetera. Special meetings may be held at any time and place within the State at the call of the chairman or upon written request of at least a majority of the members. Provided, a majority of the members shall be allowed to waive any meeting.
(e)	All clerical and other services required by the committee shall be supplied by the Secretary of Human Resources.
(f)	Members of the committee shall receive per diem and necessary travel and subsistence expenses in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138-5."
Sec. 2.  It is the intent of the General Assembly that the provisions of this act shall be implemented without additional appropriations to the Department of Human Resources, and nothing herein contained shall be construed to obligate the General Assembly to appropriate additional funds.
Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1977.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 30th day of June, 1977.