NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1977 SESSION

CHAPTER 1256
HOUSE BILL 540

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Chapter 115, Article 24 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, is hereby amended to add the following new section:
"§ 115-204.1.  School health education program to be developed and administered. — (a) A comprehensive school health education program shall be developed and taught to pupils of the public schools of this State from kindergarten through 9th grade. This program shall be developed over a 10-year period beginning July 1, 1978.
(b)	As used above, 'comprehensive school health' includes the subject matter of mental and emotional health, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, nutrition, dental health, environmental health, family living, consumer health, disease control, growth and development, first aid and emergency care, and any like subject matter.
(c)	The development and administration of this program shall be the responsibility of each local educational administrative unit in the State, a local school health education coordinator for each county, the State Department of Public Instruction, and a State School Health Education Advisory Committee.
(d)	Each existing local educational administrative unit is eligible to develop and submit a plan for a comprehensive school health education program which shall meet all standards established by the State Board of Education, and to apply for funds to execute such plans.
(e)	The State Department of Public Instruction shall supervise the development and operation of a statewide comprehensive school health education program including curriculum development, in-service training provision and promotion of collegiate training; learning material review; and assessment and evaluation of local programs in the same manner as for other programs. It is the intent of this legislation that a specific position or positions in Public Instruction shall be assigned responsibilities as set forth in this section.
(f)	A State School Health Advisory Committee is hereby established.
(1)	The committee shall provide citizen input into the operations of the program; report annually to the State Board of Education on progress in accomplishing the provisions and intent of this legislation; provide advice to the department with regard to its duties under this act; and encourage development of higher education programs which would benefit health education in the public schools..
(2)	The committee shall meet as necessary but at least twice annually. It shall select annually a chairperson from among its own membership, each member having an equal vote and the chairperson shall appoint such subcommittees as may be necessary. Members of the committee shall serve without compensation; however, they shall be reimbursed by the Department of Public Instruction for travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the committee (to the extent that funds are appropriated for this purpose).
(3)	The committee shall consist of 17 members: 10 appointed by the Governor, two by the State Board of Education, one by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one by the President of the Senate, and three ex officio members: the Chief, Office of Health Education, North Carolina Department of Human Resources; the Chief, State Health Planning and Development Agency, North Carolina Department of Human Resources; and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or their designates. The Governor's appointees shall be named in the following manner: one physician from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Medical Society; one physician from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Pediatric Society; one physician from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Chiropractic Association; one registered nurse from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Nurses' Association; one dentist from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Dental Society; one member from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Medical Auxiliary; one member from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc.; one member from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation; one member from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina Public Health Association; one member from a list of three names submitted by the North Carolina College Conference on Professional Preparation in Health and Physical Education. The State Board nominees shall represent local school administrative units and shall have been recommended by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Speaker's nominee shall be a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives and the President of the Senate's nominee shall be a member of the Senate.
(4)	The appointed members of the advisory committee shall serve for a term of three years; except that in the case of the initial appointments, the representative of the North Carolina Pediatric Society, one of the representatives of a local school administrative unit, the representative of the North Carolina Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, and the member of the North Carolina General Assembly shall be appointed for a term of two years; and the representatives of the North Carolina Nurses' Association, the North Carolina Dental Society, the North Carolina Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc., and the North Carolina Public Health Association shall be appointed for a term of one year. Each of these computations shall be made as of July 1, 1977. Thereafter, each succeeding term shall be for three years. Appointed members may be reappointed up to a maximum of nine years of service. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments for the balance of the unexpired term."
Sec. 2.  There is hereby appropriated to the State Board of Education from the General Fund the sum of two hundred ten thousand dollars ($210,000) to be expended as follows:
(1)	one hundred ninety-three thousand one hundred thirty dollars ($193,130) to initiate comprehensive school health education programs in the eight education regions. Funds are to be expended locally for the salary and fringe benefits of the school health education coordinator, instructional materials and supplies, office supplies, workshops, travel and subsistence, telephone, postage, and similar expenses;
(2)	fourteen thousand three hundred seventy dollars ($14,370) to maintain and support an additional position to be used as set forth in G.S. 115-204.1(e) and to support in the development and operation of a statewide comprehensive school health education program. Funds are to be expended for the salary and fringe benefits of a school health education consultant. In addition, the funds will be expended for travel and subsistence, educational materials and supplies, telephone, postage, office supplies, local and regional workshops, program evaluation, and similar expenses;
(3)	one thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($1,250) to support the purchasing or preparation, distribution of a K-12 comprehensive health education curricula and teacher guides;
(4)	one thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($1,250) to reimburse members of the State School Health Education Advisory Committee for travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the advisory committee.
Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1978.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 16th day of June, 1978.