Overview
These are the issues included in the 2009 Women's Agenda. Each bill on this
list meets four criteria:
- It addresses an issue that was raised in the Draft
Women's Agenda and
the 2008 Agenda Assemblies, or it is related to one or more of NC Women United's
four general areas of concern.
- The issue is expected to come before the General Assembly in the 2009/2010
session with either a specific bill or an impact on the budget.
- A member organization of NC Women United has agreed to write a position
paper giving more details on the issue.
- The elected members of the NCWU Policy Council agree that the issue
is consistent with NCWU's goals.
You are encouraged to follow the links below to learn more
about the specific bills of particular
concern to you and prepare for
In particular, use the links to the bills to learn whether your legislator
is a sponsor or co-sponsor and check the "more info" links for talking points
on the bills.
Access to Healthcare
- Healthy Youth Act, S221/H88.
- Create a two-track system for teaching sexuality education in NC—one for
abstinence until marriage and another for abstinence-based comprehensive sexuality
education—for grades 7-9 and allow parents to choose a program for their child.
More info.
- Home & Community Care Block Grant Funds, S185/H142.
- Provide $2.5
million for each year of the biennium—as recommended by the Legislative
Study Commission on Aging—to increase home-delivered services for low-income
persons 60 and over to enable them to stay in their homes. More
info.
Civic Participation and Equality
- Expand Voter-Owned Elections, H586.
- Give candidates for Council of State agency heads a voluntary option to
finance their campaigns using a publicly supported fund but only if hundreds
of registered voters authorize them to do so. More
info.
- Public Municipal Campaigns, H120.
- Authorize publicly financed campaigns at the local level for any city in
NC. More info.
- The School Violence Prevention Act,
S526/H548.
- Require all schools to adopt policies that clearly define and prohibit
bullying and harassment. More info.
Economic Self-Sufficiency
- Healthy Families & Healthy Workplaces Act, S534/H177.
- Provide access to paid sick days for NC workers to care for themselves
and ill family members or to deal with incidents of domestic violence, sexual
assault or stalking. More info: text-only
talking points, supporting
organizations, flier (large
download).
- Housing Trust Fund Appropriations,
S125/H176.
- Provide $50 million for each year of the biennium for the Housing Trust
Fund. More info.
- Minimum Wages/Inflation Increases, H175.
- Provide for automatic adjustment of the state’s minimum wage based
on increases in the consumer price index. More
info.
Violence Against Women
- Add Division of Law Enforcement Support Services (LESS) to Crime Control & Public
Safety (CCPS), S139/H201.
- Clarify that LESS will be storing rape kits at a centralized warehouse
and that it is a division of the CCPS. More
info.
- Child Witness Testimony/Procedures,H192.
- Allow remote testimony in criminal proceedings where the court has determined
that 1) the minor would suffer significant emotional distress by testifying
in the defendant’s presence and; 2) the minor’s ability to communicate
would be impaired. More info.
- Funding for Sexual Assault Programs, Budget.
- 1) Preserve 2008 appropriated funding levels to Rape Crisis Center Fund.
2) Preserve and enhance the Rape Victim Assistance Fund.
- Increase Funding for Domestic Violence Programs, S227/H151.
- Provide $2 million
for domestic violence programs funded by the Council for Women/Domestic Violence
Commission. More
info.
- NC Human Trafficking Commission, S353.
- Create NC Human Trafficking Commission and appoint a member of NC Coalition
Against Sexual Assault. More info.
- Protect Domestic Violence Shelters, S144.
- Provide that local domestic violence programs will not be held liable for
harmful acts committed by a perpetrator on their premises. More
info.
- Recommendations of Joint Domestic Violence Committee, S223/H115.
- 1) Rename the NC Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission, 2) expand
issues that Council for Women addresses, 3) provide criteria for members
of the Council for Women, 4) amend Chapter 50B to require a summons be issued
which allows the Defendant to respond within 10 days, 5) direct the Administrative
Office of the Courts to determine cost of implementing a domestic violence
protective order notification system which interfaces with the NC SAVAN system,
and 6) direct the NC Domestic Violence Commission to study the issue of State
oversight and coordination of services to victims of sexual violence. More
info.
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