A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Implement a pilot Project for long‑term care COMMUNITY SERVICE COORDINATION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  In response to Recommendation #16 in the final report from the Institute of Medicine Task Force on Long‑Term Care and the study report recommendations resulting from S.L. 2001‑491, Part XXII, the Department of Health and Human Services shall implement a communications and coordination initiative to support local coordination of long‑term care and shall pilot the establishment of local lead agencies to facilitate the long‑term care coordination process at the county or regional level.  For those counties that voluntarily participate, the local long‑term care coordination initiative shall aid in the development of core services, coordinate local services, and streamline access to services. The initiative shall eliminate fragmentation and barriers to information and services; provide a seamless connection among State agencies and local entities, regardless of funding sources; and allow consumers to efficiently and effectively navigate among long‑term care services.
SECTION 2.  The Department shall submit an interim report on the pilot project for local long‑term care coordination to the North Carolina Study Commission on Aging by October 1, 2004, and a final report by October 1, 2005.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.