North Carolina § 108A-71 - Authorization of social services programs.

§ 108A-71. Authorization of social services programs.

The Department is hereby authorized to accept all grants-in-aid available for programs of social services under the Social Security Act, other federal laws or regulations, State appropriations and other non-federal sources. The Department is designated as the single State agency responsible for administering or supervising the administration of such programs. It is the intent of this Article that programs of social services be administered so that the State and its citizens may benefit fully from any grants-in-aid. History (1981, c. 275, s. 1.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2016-94, s. 12B.5(a)-(f) provides: "(a) The Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction and any other agencies or organizations that administer, support, or study early education in this State, and within resources currently available, shall collaborate on an ongoing basis to develop and implement a statewide vision for early childhood education. In collaborating in this effort, the agencies shall develop a comprehensive approach to early childhood education, birth through third grade, including creating cross agency accountability with a comprehensive set of data indicators, including consideration of the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading, to monitor and measure success of the early childhood education systems. "(b) The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Instruction, and any other agencies or organizations that administer, support, or study early education programs in this State shall report their findings and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, resulting from the initiative to develop and implement a statewide vision for early childhood education pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The agencies shall make an initial report to Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before January 1, 2017, submit a follow up report to those same committees on or before January 1, 2018, and may make any subsequent reports, annually, on or before January 1, as needed to those same committees. "(c) The Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall promote the successful transition of children who receive assistance from NC Pre-K program and the Child Care Subsidy Assistance program for four- and five-star rated facility classrooms to kindergarten. In its promotion of a successful transition from preschool to kindergarten, the Department of Health and Human Services shall recommend that both NC Pre-K teachers and preschool teachers prepare a preschool to kindergarten transition plan for each child transitioning to kindergarten that documents the child's strengths and needs based on the five Goals and Developmental Indicator domains for children's developmental and learning progress that are based on the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development. The preparation of the transition plan shall only apply to children who receive assistance through the NC Pre-K program or the Child Care Subsidy Assistance program. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Departments utilize this transition plan until such time as the standardized program to transition children from preschool to kindergarten, required pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, is developed and implemented. "(d) The Department of Health and Human Services shall report on the implementation of the transition plan required pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, including any findings and recommendations and any legislative proposals, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before December 15, 2016. "(e) The Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall develop and implement a standardized program to transition children from preschool to kindergarten. In developing this standardized transition program, the Department of Health and Human Services shall identify, at a minimum: "(1) Methods to standardize student transition information such that it is quantifiable. "(2) Recommendations for sharing data contained in a student's transition plan between preschool teachers and either kindergarten teachers or the schools that receive the incoming kindergarten students. "(3) Recommendations for sharing data contained in a student's transition plan between preschool teachers and the parents or guardians of the child who is transitioning to kindergarten. "(4) Recommendations for preschool teacher training and continuing education to support their role in completing transition plans for preschool children. "(5) Recommendations for baseline information that should be compiled in transition plans for students transitioning to kindergarten. "(6) Procedures for the management of transition plan documents, including recommendations for the length of records retention, provisions for confidentiality, and proper disposal. "(7) Any other components the Department deems appropriate in the provision of information between preschools, students' families, and kindergartens." Session Laws 2016-94, s. 12C.1(a), (b) provides: "(a) Federal Improvement Plan Implementation. - The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, shall implement the requirements of the federal Program Improvement Plan to bring our State into compliance with national standards for child welfare policy and practices. The Division shall collaborate with county departments of social services to develop a model of oversight that supports program outcomes and a county's ability to meet performance standards as outlined in the Program Improvement Plan. Oversight may include support for continuous quality improvement, staff training, and data analysis. During the first two years of implementing the Program Improvement Plan, the Division shall ensure the three new Human Services/Planner Evaluator positions funded by this act are used to carry out the activities detailed in the Plan. Upon complete implementation of the Plan, these positions shall be used in child welfare services to continually improve outcomes for children and families. "The Division shall report on the implementation and outcomes of the Program Improvement Plan to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services. The report shall be submitted semiannually on February 1 and August 1 of each year, with the first report submitted on August 1, 2016, and the final report on February 1, 2019. "(b) Statewide Strategic Plan. - The Division of Social Services shall develop a statewide strategic plan for child welfare services that complements the required federal Program Improvement Plan. The statewide strategic plan shall, at a minimum, address the findings of the North Carolina Statewide Child Protective Services Evaluation, which was conducted as required by Section 12C.1(f) of S.L. 2014-100, in the areas of county performance, caseload sizes, administrative structure, adequacy of funding, social worker turnover, and monitoring and oversight. The plan shall also address measures for ensuring that Native American children in this State are served in a culturally appropriate manner, including in placements for adoption and foster care. The Division shall submit the plan to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services by December 1, 2016, for consideration by the 2017 General Assembly." Session Laws 2017-41 provides in its preamble: "Whereas, the children and families involved in North Carolina's child welfare system are among our most vulnerable children and most fragile families; and "Whereas, the recent federal Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) and the North Carolina Statewide Child Protective Services Evaluation of the State's Child Protective Services (CPS) program identified troubling gaps and flaws in North Carolina's child welfare system that are allowing too many of those vulnerable children and fragile families to fall through the cracks; and "Whereas, transforming the child welfare system to better ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families is the right thing to do; and "Whereas, county social services agencies are facing significant resource and administration challenges in areas other than child welfare, such as public assistance and adult services; and "Whereas, a recent audit by the North Carolina State Auditor of Medicaid eligibility determinations by county departments of social services concluded that most of the county departments reviewed in the audit did not consistently meet standards for timeliness and accuracy; and "Whereas, a recent report by the Program Evaluation Division reached similar conclusions regarding county administration of Medicaid eligibility determinations; and "Whereas, North Carolina's Aging Services Plan and a recent report on Alzheimer's and related dementias by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine emphasize the tremendous growth of the aging population and anticipate relying heavily on social services agencies to support the needs of this population; and "Whereas, it has been challenging for the State to effectively supervise administration of complex social services programs in 100 counties and it would be more efficient and effective for the State to supervise fewer local agencies; and "Whereas, it is our charge to spend public dollars wisely and effectively on administration of public assistance; and "Whereas, for the aforementioned reasons, North Carolina requires a plan of action to systematically reform the child welfare system and reduce the number of departments of social services to allow for better supervision and administration of social services programs; Now, therefore," Session Laws 2017-41, s. 1.1, provides: "Regional Supervision of and Collaboration by Local Social Services Programs. - "(1) The Department of Health and Human Services (Department) is responsible for supervision of the local administration of social services programs, including child welfare, adult protective services and guardianship, public assistance, child support enforcement, and other programs. In order to enhance State supervision and oversight for these programs, the Department shall develop a plan for establishing regional offices charged with supervision of administration of social services at the local level. The plan shall also identify any necessary legislative and regulatory changes necessary to improve regional collaboration among county or regional social services agencies or programs. "(2) In developing the plan, the Department shall take into consideration the recommendations of the Social Services Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group created under Section 1.2.(a) of this act. "(3) The Department shall submit the plan to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services by November 15, 2018. The plan shall provide for the system of regional supervision to be operational no later than March 1, 2020. The Department shall not implement the plan without an act by the General Assembly." Session Laws 2017-41, s. 1.2(a)-(f), provides: "(a) Social Services Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group. - The School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (SOG) shall convene a Social Services Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group (Working Group) to make recommendations to the Department regarding the regional supervision and collaboration plan. "(b) Composition. - The Working Group shall consist of the following members: "(1) Three members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated as a cochair. "(2) Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated as a cochair. "(3) Three representatives from the Department appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Secretary's designee. "(4) One designee of the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, appointed by the Chief Justice. "(5) Four county commissioners representing the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC), each of whom shall represent different regions of the State, appointed by the Director of the NCACC. "(6) Two county social services directors, one of whom shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. "(7) One representative from the North Carolina Association of Social Services Attorneys (NCASSA), appointed by the President of the NCASSA. "(8) One representative from the Association of North Carolina County Social Services Directors, appointed by the President of the Association. "(c) Ad Hoc Subcommittees. - The cochairs may, at their discretion, establish ad hoc subcommittees involving experts and representatives of stakeholder organizations to provide information and offer recommendations related to their areas of expertise and interest. Experts and organizations may include: "(1) Social Services Commission. "(2) North Carolina Association of County Boards of Social Services. "(3) Guardian ad Litem Program. "(4) Office of Indigent Defense Services. "(5) North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. "(6) Disability Rights of North Carolina. "(7) Benchmarks NC. "(8) North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors. "(9) North Carolina Council of Community Programs. "(10) North Carolina Emergency Management Association. "(11) North Carolina Child Support Council. "(12) North Carolina Pediatric Society. "(13) AARP North Carolina. "(14) County commissioners representing jurisdictions that have diverse geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic characteristics. "(15) Directors and administrators of consolidated human services agencies. "(16) Other experts or stakeholders identified by the cochairs. "(d) Duties. - The Working Group shall develop recommendations for the regional supervision and collaboration plan required by Section 1.1 of this act. The Working Group shall divide its work into two stages, the first to address regional supervision and the second to address interagency collaboration and regionalization. "(1) Stage One. - The Working Group shall convene its first meeting no later than October 6, 2017. During the first stage, the Working Group shall develop recommendations regarding: "a. The size, number, and location of the regions. Recommendations shall take into consideration (i) the need for regions to maintain direct, local connections with the jurisdictions they serve; (ii) alignment with other regional organizations that intersect with the work of social services, as appropriate; and (iii) awareness of the cultural differences and similarities between regions. "b. The allocation of responsibility between the central, regional, and local officials in supervising and administering the social services programs and services. "c. Methods for holding the regional offices accountable for performance and responsiveness. "d. Requirements for the regional offices to share information about local departmental performance with the relevant board or boards of county commissioners, county or regional board of social services, or consolidated human services board. "e. Options for authorizing the board of county commissioners to intervene in urgent situations to assume direct control of the department of social services at the local level prior to the State assuming control of service delivery pursuant to G.S. 108A-74 . "f. Any other issues related to regional supervision identified by the cochairs. "(2) Stage Two. - During the second stage, the Working Group shall: "a. Develop recommendations regarding legislative and regulatory changes necessary to improve collaboration between counties in the administration of social services programs and services. Recommendations shall address, at a minimum, information sharing, conflicts of interest, and intercounty movement of people enrolled in programs or receiving social services. "b. Develop a vision for transitioning the State from a county-administered system to a regionally administered system. The vision shall identify general benefits and challenges associated with making such a transition. "(e) Reports. - "(1) Stage One. - The Working Group shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services (Committee) and the Department at the conclusion of Stage One, which shall be no later than April 15, 2018. After receiving the Stage One report, the Committee may terminate the Working Group if it concludes that the Working Group is not making sufficient progress. "(2) Stage Two. - The Working Group shall submit a report to the Committee and the Department at the conclusion of Stage Two, which shall be no later than February 1, 2019. "(f) Role of the School of Government. - The School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shall assist the Working Group as follows: "(1) Convene and facilitate meetings. "(2) Provide necessary clerical and administrative support. "(3) Prepare the Working Group reports. "(4) Provide technical assistance, as appropriate." Session Laws 2017-41, s. 2.1(a)-(e), provides: "(a) Contract for Social Services Reform. - The Office of State Budget and Management, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, shall develop and issue a request for proposal (RFP) no later than September 30, 2017, to contract with a third-party organization to develop a plan to reform the State supervision and accountability for the social services system, including child welfare, adult protective services and guardianship, public assistance, and child support enforcement ("system reform"). In developing the system reform plan, the organization shall: "(1) Evaluate the role of the State in the social services system. "(2) Develop a new vision and strategic direction for the social services system, including leadership and governance at the State and regional levels. "(3) Develop a plan for reforming the social services system in order to improve outcomes for children and families, enhance State supervision of local social services administration, improve accountability for outcomes in social services at the local, regional, and State levels. "(4) Develop a plan for collection, analysis, and effective use of data by the social services system. "(5) Create a Social Services System Transparency and Wellness Dashboard (Dashboard) as provided in subsection (c) of this section. "(6) Develop a plan for consistent, standardized continuous quality improvement (CQI) for social services at the State, regional, and county levels. "(7) Review policies and procedures to support and accelerate system reform, focusing on sustainable change that will improve outcomes for children and families. "(8) Provide ongoing evaluation and oversight of the Department's implementation of social services system reform. "(9) Develop a child welfare reform plan as specified in subsection (b) of this section. "(10) Comply with all applicable reporting and implementation requirements specified in subsection (d) of this section. "In developing and implementing the social services system reform plan, the organization shall engage the services of national technical advisors with broad expertise and experience in implementing large-scale, systemic social services reform. The national technical advisors may have specialized expertise in certain areas of social services, such as child welfare, adult services, public assistance, or child support enforcement. "(b) Child Welfare Reform. - The contract with the third-party organization required by subsection (a) of this section shall also require the organization to develop a child welfare reform plan that, at a minimum, makes recommendations regarding: "(1) Child Protective Services (CPS), including the system for receiving reports and investigating allegations of child abuse, neglect, or dependency. "(2) Preventive and in-home services that provide struggling families with needed supports and treatment to prevent removal of the children from the home. "(3) Child fatality oversight, including a review of the existing structure, communication, and effectiveness of the Community Child Protection Teams, the Child Fatality Prevention Team, and use of Citizen Review Panels. Oversight shall also include identification of systemic problems in the child welfare system that may increase risk of harm or death to a child and implementation of timely and appropriate systemic reforms following a child fatality. "(4) Placement of children in foster care and other out-of-home settings. "(5) Services provided to children, youth, and parents involved with child welfare to achieve reunification of families. "(6) Efforts to achieve permanency for children either through reunification with family, legal guardianship or custody, or adoption. "(7) Provision of health care, mental health, and educational services to children and families involved with the child welfare system. "(8) Services provided to older youth in foster care and to those who have aged out of foster care. "(9) Strategies to ensure well-trained and adequately compensated staff to improve performance and reduce turnover. "(10) Practice and implementation, including: "a. Ensuring a statewide, trauma-informed, culturally competent, family-centered practice framework. "b. Incorporating more evidence-based practices, including evidence-informed prevention services designed to reduce the number of children entering foster care. "c. Specifying expectations regarding professional development, training, and performance standards. "d. Eliminating unnecessary barriers to licensing foster care and therapeutic foster care families to ensure an adequate supply of qualified families. "e. Improving provider and foster parent feedback loops. For purposes of this sub-subdivision, "feedback loops" refers to a situation in which a portion of the output of a situation is used for new input. "f. Performing time use and salary surveys for Division of Social Services staff. "g. Promoting relationship building across agencies and providers. "h. Implementing family supports for adoptions, which includes (i) collecting data on the incidence of disrupted adoptions and unlawful transference of children in North Carolina, (ii) the outcomes for children and families associated with disrupted adoptions, and (iii) the provision of supports needed to assist families at risk of disruption in order to keep those families together. "i. Maintaining sibling groups, in accordance with the "Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. "j. Developing a statewide, standardized functional protocol to be used for case planning, service referrals, and enhancing executive-level decision making around resource allocation and other system reform efforts. "(c) In developing the child welfare components of the reform plan pursuant to this section, the organization shall do each of the following: "(1) Ensure the plan complies with the requirements of the federal Child and Family Services Review Program Improvement Plan effective January 1, 2017. "(2) Consult regularly with the Social Service Regional Supervision and Collaboration Working Group and offer recommendations appropriate to align the goals and direction for both efforts. "(3) Review the program for corrective action under G.S. 108A-74 , as amended by Part III of this act, and offer any recommendations necessary to align the corrective action program with the child welfare reform plan. "(d) The social services reform effort described in this section shall also include the creation of a Social Services System Transparency and Wellness Dashboard (Dashboard) that will collect data from the North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) system. The Dashboard shall serve as a report card and include regular reports of the components of social services including, at a minimum, child welfare, adult services, public assistance, and child support enforcement. The Dashboard shall be continuously updated to allow for monitoring by State leadership, staff and families involved in the social services system, and the general public to ensure maximum accountability and transparency and the effective and efficient use of social services and funds. The Department of Health and Human Services shall work closely with the organization to identify available data sources to include in the Dashboard for the relevant programs. With respect to child welfare specifically, the Dashboard shall address the data issues highlighted in the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) and the North Carolina Statewide Child Protective Services Evaluation of the State's Child Protective Services system dated March 1, 2016, to ensure the provision of accurate federal reporting and improved case management, continuous quality improvement (CQI), and overall improved outcomes for children and families. The data from the Dashboard shall be readily available on the Department's Web site. For purposes of this subsection, the term "Dashboard" means a standard set of performance and outcome metrics that indicate how effectively the components of the social services system are working. "(e) The following reporting and implementation requirements shall occur: "(1) The Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services (Committee) upon hiring an organization as required by subsection (a) of this section to develop the social services reform plan pursuant to this section. "(2) OSBM shall include in the contract clear direction that time is of the essence and failure to perform within the required time line constitutes breach of contract. OSBM shall also include a provision in the contract authorizing it to terminate the contract without financial penalty to the State if OSBM, in consultation with the Committee, determines that progress on development of the child welfare reform plan is unsatisfactory. "(3) The organization shall submit a preliminary report to the Committee no later than 180 days after the contract is finalized. The preliminary report shall set forth the progress made on developing the reform plan and the objectives for the subsequent 180 days. After that preliminary report is submitted, the organization shall submit bimonthly reports to Committee on the progress of development and implementation of the child welfare reform plan. "(4) The Department shall submit preliminary recommendations to the Committee no later than October 1, 2018, regarding legislative changes necessary to implement the reform plan developed by the organization. After the preliminary report is submitted, the Department may submit additional reports to the Committee identifying additional legislative changes that are necessary to implement the reform plan as it is further developed and implemented." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 11B.2(a)-(d), provides: "(a) The Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction and any other agencies or organizations that administer, support, or study early education in this State, and within resources currently available, shall continue to collaborate on an ongoing basis in the development and implementation of a statewide vision for early childhood education. In collaborating in this effort, the agencies shall continue developing a comprehensive approach to early childhood education, birth through third grade, including creating cross agency accountability with a comprehensive set of data indicators, including consideration of the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading, to monitor and measure success of the early childhood education systems. "(b) The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Instruction, and any other agencies or organizations that administer, support, or study early education programs in this State shall submit a follow-up report of their findings and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, on the statewide vision for early childhood education pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before January 1, 2018, and may make any subsequent reports, annually, on or before January 1, as needed to those same committees. "(c) The Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall continue developing a standardized program to transition children from preschool to kindergarten. In developing this standardized transition program, the Department of Health and Human Services shall identify, at a minimum: "(1) Methods to standardize student transition information such that it is quantifiable. "(2) Recommendations for sharing data contained in a student's transition plan between preschool teachers and either kindergarten teachers or the schools that receive the incoming kindergarten students. "(3) Recommendations for sharing data contained in a student's transition plan between preschool teachers and the parents or guardians of the child who is transitioning to kindergarten. "(4) Recommendations for preschool teacher training and continuing education to support their role in completing transition plans for preschool children. "(5) Recommendations for baseline information that should be compiled in transition plans for students transitioning to kindergarten. "(6) Procedures for the management of transition plan documents, including recommendations for the length of records retention, provisions for confidentiality, and proper disposal. "(7) Any other components the Department deems appropriate in the provision of information between preschools, students' families, and kindergartens. "(d) The Department of Health and Human Services shall report on the development of the standardized transition program required pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, including any findings and recommendations and any legislative proposals, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before January 1, 2018." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 11C.7(a), (b), as amended by Session Laws 2018-5, s. 11C.1, provides: "(a) Federal Improvement Plan Implementation. - The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, shall continue implementing the requirements of the federal Program Improvement Plan to bring our State into compliance with national standards for child welfare policy and practices. The Division shall collaborate with county departments of social services to develop a model of oversight that supports program outcomes and a county's ability to meet performance standards as outlined in the Program Improvement Plan. Oversight may include support for continuous quality improvement, staff training, and data analysis. "Of the funds appropriated to the Division in each year of the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium for the child welfare program improvement plan, the sum of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) recurring in each year of the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium shall be used by the Division, in collaboration with the North Carolina State Commission on Indian Affairs within the Department of Administration, for North Carolina State-recognized tribes to assist in (i) recruiting foster parents, (ii) increasing the number of foster homes for children who are members of a North Carolina State-recognized tribe, and (iii) providing training for staff of county departments of social services to ensure culturally appropriate services for children who are members of a North Carolina State-recognized tribe. "The Division shall notify the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services (Committee) and the Fiscal Research Division within 30 days of complete implementation of the Program Improvement Plan. The Division shall submit a final report to the Committee on the implementation and outcomes of the Program Improvement Plan no later than 90 days after implementation is complete. "(b) Child Welfare/NC FAST. - The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, shall continue toward completion of the child welfare component of the North Carolina Families Accessing Services Through Technology (NC FAST) system to (i) bring the State into compliance with the Statewide Information System systematic factor of the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) and (ii) ensure that data quality meets federal standards and adequate information is collected and available to counties to assist in tracking children and outcomes across counties. "It is the intent of the General Assembly that the child welfare component of the NC FAST system be operational by December 31, 2017. To that end, the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, shall notify the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services (Committee) and the Fiscal Research Division within 30 days of complete implementation of the child welfare component of NC FAST. The Division of Social Services shall then submit a final report to the Committee on the implementation and outcomes of the child welfare component of the NC FAST system no later than 90 days after implementation is complete." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2017.'" Session Laws 2017-57, s. 39.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 39.6, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2018-5, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2018.'" Session Laws 2018-5, s. 39.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2018-2019 fiscal year." Session Laws 2018-5, s. 39.7, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2019-240, s. 24(a)-(e), provides: "(a) The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, shall postpone deployment of the North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) system as it relates to case-management functionality for the child welfare system and aging and adult services' programs. The Division shall not deploy the child welfare case-management component of the NC FAST system statewide prior to July 1, 2020, but shall instead continue to develop and improve case-management functionality for the child welfare component of NC FAST only in those counties that participated in the initial pilot program prior to January 1, 2019. "(b) Counties that were phased-in the NC FAST Child Welfare System after January 1, 2019, may elect to opt out of the utilization of the Intake and Assessment functionality of the NC FAST system. "(c) The Division shall move forward with developing and issuing requests for information (RFIs) to consider a vehicle for improving or replacing the child welfare case-management component of NC FAST, but shall not issue any contracts without prior approval from the General Assembly. To ensure the request for information includes areas of greatest concerns to the pilot counties, the Division shall consult with the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services. The Department shall report to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Health Care, the chairs of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, the chairs of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, and the chairs of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services no later than May 1, 2020. "(d) The Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee shall revise the biennial 2019-2020 work plan for the Program Evaluation Division to include a study of the case-management functionality of the child welfare component of NC FAST. The Program Evaluation Division shall submit its evaluation to the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee and to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services no later than May 1, 2020. "(e) This section is effective when it becomes law." Legal Periodicals. - For survey of 1981 administrative law, see 60 N.C.L. Rev. 1165 (1982).