May 15, 2008: House
Funding Bills Eligible for Consideration in the Senate
On Tuesday, I returned to Raleigh for the first day of the “short
session.” Typically during this session, legislators adjust the
state budget approved in the previous session and take up some of
the unresolved matters from the previous year. Most of those matters
are contained in funding bills filed last year and still eligible
for consideration this session. I will remind you about some of them
this week.
Funding Bills Eligible for Consideration
Health Care
A bill (HB 97) to provide funds for the Workforce Improvement for
Nursing Assistants: Supporting Training, Education, and Payment for
Upgrading Performance (Win a Step Up) program passed its first
reading in the House. The program’s curriculum features information
and exercises involving appropriate care for individuals with
dementia, anxiety, depression, and other severe mental health
problems. The bill is in the Committee on Appropriations.
House members passed a bill (HB 1522) to clarify local management
entity (LME) board membership regulations. If the bill is signed
into law, an individual who contracts with an LME for the delivery
of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse
services may not serve on the board of the LME while the contract
for services is in effect. It is currently in the Senate Committee
on Health Care.
My colleagues and I in the House passed a bill (HB 1784) to
improve the quality and accessibility of mental health,
developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services. The bill
requires providers to document services provided and adequately
train staff. This bill is also in the Senate Committee on Health
Care.
Taxes
House members may consider a bill (HB 184) to deduct compensation
paid by the armed forces to military personnel on active duty from
state taxable income. The bill is currently in the Committee on
Finance.
House members may consider a bill (HB 526) to provide an income
tax credit for builders of energy efficient homes. If the bill
becomes law, taxpayers who build a federally qualified energy
efficient home will be eligible for a tax credit of $1,000. If the
home is a state-certified energy-efficient home, the taxpayer could
be eligible for a $2,000 tax credit. The bill passed its first
reading in the House and is now in the Committee on Finance.
Justice
House members approved a bill (HB 1291) to provide for the fair
and reliable imposition of capital sentences. The bill states that
no one should be sentenced to death or executed because of race.
The bill is in the Senate Committee on Judiciary II.
A bill (HB 341) to clarify proportionality review cleared the
House. The bill requires the court to include cases where life
imprisonment was imposed that are factually similar to capital cases
where the death penalty was used in its proportionality review. It
is currently in the Senate Committee on Judiciary II.
A bill (HB 43) to help victims of domestic violence is eligible
for consideration this session. The bill provides funding and
increases funding for several programs related to domestic violence
including the Family Court Program and Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families funds for domestic violence prevention. The North
Carolina Council for Women and the Domestic Violence Commission may
also receive funds to build shelters for victims. The bill also
includes funding for the Governor’s Crime Commission to provide
supervised visitation and exchange centers as well as funding to
adjust the salary and benefits for the abuser treatment program
coordinator. The bill passed its first reading and is now in the
Committee on Appropriations.
Return to List
of Links to Press Releases of the Short Session of 2008
