AN ACT establishing regional interagency coordinating councils under the laws relating to early intervention services for children from birth to five years of age with disabilities.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Chapter 143B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 143B-179.5A.  Regional Interagency Coordinating Councils for Children from Birth to Five with Disabilities and Their Families; establishment; composition; organization; duties; compensation; reporting.
(a)	There are established 18 Regional Interagency Coordinating Councils for Children from Birth to Five with Disabilities and Their Families, corresponding with the catchment areas for the Children's Developmental Services Agency of the Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
(b)	Each Regional Interagency Coordinating Council shall have no more than 30 members, appointed by the NC Interagency Coordinating Council (NC-ICC) and the Division of Public Health. Members of each Regional Council shall serve staggered terms. On or before January 1, 2004, the NC-ICC and the Division of Public Health shall designate no more than 15 appointees to serve for two-year terms on each Regional Council and no more than 15 appointees to serve for one-year terms on each Regional Council. Upon the expiration of the terms of the initial Regional Council members, each member shall be appointed for a term of two years and shall serve until a successor is appointed. The NC-ICC and the Division of Public Health shall have the power to remove any member of a Regional Council from office. Any appointment to fill a vacancy on a Regional Council created by the resignation, dismissal, death, or disability of a member shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term. Members may succeed themselves for one term and may be appointed again after being off a Regional Council for one term. All members shall abide by the state interagency agreement of the NC Interagency Coordinating Council.
(c)	The composition of Regional Councils shall be as follows:
(1)	At least twenty percent (20%) parents or families of young children ages birth to five with disabilities for each region.
(2)	One Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC) representative for each county in a region.
(3)	The Children's Developmental Services Agency Director.
(4)	One Regional Family Support Network representative for each region.
(5)	One Local Management Entity representative for each region practicing in the area of mental health.
(6)	One health department representative for each region.
(7)	One executive director of a local Partnership for Children for each region.
(8)	One local Department of Social Services representative for each region.
(9)	One representative who is a member of the medical community for each region. Members appointed pursuant to this subdivision may include a pediatrician, or a health care provider, as defined in G.S. 58‑50-61(8), at a local hospital, including a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
(10)	One Head Start/Early Head Start representative for each region.
(11)	One representative from the Office of Education Services Governor Morehead Early Intervention/Preschool Program for each region.
(12)	One representative from the Office of Education Services Deaf/Hard of Hearing Early Intervention/Preschool Program for each region.
(13)	One representative of the Regional TEACCH program.
(14)	One representative of the Military Early Intervention program, if a military base is present in the region.
(15)	Other public or private providers as recommended by LICCs within the region and as approved by the NC-ICC and the Division of Public Health.
(d)	After a Regional Council has appointed its members, the Regional Council shall, at its first meeting, elect a parent and a professional as cochairs to establish any standing or ad hoc committees or task forces necessary to carry out the functions of the Regional Council. The Regional Council shall meet at least quarterly. A majority of the Regional Council will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(e)	Each Regional Council shall be responsible for developing an early intervention plan, in collaboration with the Children's Developmental Services Agency, for all eligible children ages birth to three years and their families in its designated area. The Regional Council shall specifically address in its early intervention plan, as indicated in the 'Individuals with Disabilities Education Act' (IDEA), P.L. 105-17, those efforts designated as local responsibilities, including the following:
(1)	Implementing Child Find through public awareness activities.
(2)	Ensuring the availability of early intervention required services through the assessment of service delivery capacity, the identification of needs, and the development or revision of plans to address gaps or inadequacies.
(3)	Implementing policies for interagency professional development.
(4)	Establishing methods for compliance monitoring and qualitative evaluation of services.
(5)	Developing a plan of coordination and integration with other early childhood special education and related human service planning, such as that carried out by Mental Health Local Management Entities (LMEs), Smart Start, and Local Education Agencies (LEAs).
(f)	Each Regional Interagency Coordinating Council shall prepare and submit an annual report to the NC-ICC and all regional early intervention agencies in its area. The annual report shall address the status of the early intervention system for eligible infants and toddlers in its respective region. Additionally, each Regional Council shall report quarterly to the NC-ICC on the development and implementation status of its regional early intervention plan. The Early Intervention Branch of the Division of Public Health shall make significant efforts to identify appropriate sources of non-State funds to support each Regional Council with staff and administrative support."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 19th day of July, 2003.

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 5:23 p.m. this 7th day of August, 2003