(a) Establishment. - There is established the Domestic Violence Commission. The Commission shall be located within the Department of Administration for organizational, budgetary, and administrative purposes.
(b) Purpose. - The purpose of the Commission is to (i) assess statewide needs related to domestic violence, (ii) assure that necessary services, policies, and programs are provided to those in need, (iii) strengthen the existing domestic violence programs which have been established pursuant to G.S. 50B-9 and are funded through the Domestic Violence Center Fund, and (iv) recommend new domestic violence programs.
(c) Membership. - The Commission shall consist of 39 members, who reflect the geographic and cultural regions of the State, as follows:
(1) Nine persons appointed by the Governor, one of whom is a clerk of superior court; one of whom is an academician who is knowledgeable about domestic violence trends and treatment; one of whom is a member of the medical community; one of whom is a United States Attorney for the State of North Carolina or that person's designee; one of whom is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association who has studied domestic violence issues; one of whom is a representative of a victims' service program eligible for funding by the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Council for Women; one of whom is a member of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence; one of whom is a former victim of domestic violence; and one of whom is a member of the public at large.
(2) Nine persons appointed by the General Assembly, upon recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a member of the Senate; one of whom is a district court judge; one of whom is a district attorney or assistant district attorney; one of whom is a representative of the law enforcement community with specialized knowledge of domestic violence issues; one of whom is a county manager; one of whom is a representative of a community legal services agency who works with domestic violence victims; one of whom is a representative of the linguistic and cultural minority communities; one of whom is a representative of a victims' service program eligible for funding by the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Council for Women; and one of whom is a member of the public at large.
(3) Nine persons appointed by the General Assembly, upon recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom is a member of the House of Representatives; one of whom is a magistrate; one of whom is a member of the business community; one of whom is a district court judge; one of whom is a representative of a victims' service program eligible for funding by the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Council for Women; one of whom is a representative of the law enforcement community with specialized knowledge of domestic violence issues; one of whom provides offender treatment and is approved by the North Carolina Council for Women; one of whom is a representative of the linguistic and cultural minority communities; and one of whom is a public member.
(4) The following persons or their designees, ex officio:
a. The Governor.
b. The Lieutenant Governor.
c. The Attorney General.
d. The Secretary of the Department of Administration.
e. The Secretary of the Department of Public Safety.
f. The Superintendent of Public Instruction.
g. The Secretary of Public Safety.
h. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
i. The Director of the Office of State Human Resources.
j. The Chair of the North Carolina Council for Women.
k. The Dean of the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
l. The Chairman of the Governor's Crime Commission.
(d) Terms. - Members shall serve for two-year terms, with no prohibition against being reappointed, except initial appointments shall be for terms as follows:
(1) The Governor shall initially appoint five members for terms of two years and four members for terms of three years.
(2) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall initially appoint five members for terms of two years and four members for terms of three years.
(3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall initially appoint five members for terms of two years and four members for terms of three years.
Initial terms shall commence on September 1, 1999.
(e) Chair. - The chair shall be appointed biennially by the Governor from among the membership of the Commission. The initial term shall commence on September 1, 1999.
(f) Vacancies. - A vacancy on the Commission or as chair of the Commission resulting from the resignation of a member or otherwise shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made, and the term shall be for the balance of the unexpired term.
(g) Compensation. - The Commission members shall receive no salary as a result of serving on the Commission but shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel expenses in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, and 138-6, as applicable. When approved by the Commission, members may be reimbursed for subsistence and travel expenses in excess of the statutory amount.
(h) Removal. - Members may be removed in accordance with G.S. 143B-13 as if that section applied to this Article.
(i) Meetings. - The chair shall convene the Commission. Meetings shall be held as often as necessary, but not less than four times a year.
(j) Quorum. - A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The affirmative vote of a majority of the members present at meetings of the Commission shall be necessary for action to be taken by the Commission.
(k) Office Space. - The Department of Administration shall provide office space in Raleigh for use as offices by the Domestic Violence Commission, and the Department of Administration shall receive no reimbursement from the Commission for the use of the property during the life of the Commission.
(l) Staffing. - The Secretary of the Department of Administration shall be responsible for staffing the Commission. (1999-237, s. 24.2(b); 2001-424, s. 7.7; 2006-264, s. 29(o); 2009-342, s. 1; 2011-145, s. 19.1(g), (i); 2013-382, s. 9.1(c).)
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Last modified: March 23, 2014