Article 12R.

Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance.

§ 120-70.155.  Creation and membership.

(a) The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance is established. The Committee consists of eight members appointed as follows:

(1) Four members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) Four members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(b) The members serve for a term of two years. Members may complete a term of service on the Committee even if they do not seek reelection or are not reelected to the General Assembly, but resignation or removal from service in the General Assembly constitutes resignation or removal from service on the Committee. A member continues to serve until a successor is appointed. A vacancy shall be filled by the officer who made the original appointment. (2013-2, s. 10; 2013-224, s. 19; 2020-3, s. 1.4(c).)

§ 120-70.156.  Purpose and powers of Committee.

(a) Purpose. - The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance is directed to study and review all unemployment insurance matters, workforce development programs, and reemployment assistance efforts of the State. The following duties and powers, which are enumerated by way of illustration, shall be liberally construed to provide maximum review by the Committee of these matters:

(1) Study the unemployment insurance laws of North Carolina and the administration of those laws.

(2) Review the State's unemployment insurance laws to determine which laws need clarification, technical amendment, repeal, or other change to make the laws concise, intelligible, and easy to administer.

(3) Monitor the payment of the debt owed by the Unemployment Trust Fund to the federal government.

(4) Review and determine the adequacy of the balances in the Unemployment Trust Fund and the Unemployment Insurance Reserve Fund.

(5) Study the workforce development programs and reemployment assistance efforts of the Division of Workforce Solutions of the Department of Commerce.

(6) Call upon the Department of Commerce to cooperate with it in the study of the unemployment insurance laws and the workforce development efforts of the State.

(b) The Committee may report its findings and recommendations to any regular session of the General Assembly. A report to the General Assembly may contain any legislation needed to implement a recommendation of the Committee. (2013-2, s. 10; 2013-224, s. 19; 2020-3, s. 1.4(c).)

§ 120-70.157.  Organization of Committee.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one representative as cochair, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one senator as cochair. The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance may meet upon the joint call of the cochairs. A quorum of the Committee is five members.

The Committee may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. While in the discharge of its official duties, the Committee has the powers of a joint committee under G.S. 120-19 and G.S. 120-19.1 through G.S. 120-19.4. The Legislative Services Commission, through the Legislative Services Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist the Committee in its work. The House of Representatives and the Senate's Directors of Legislative Assistants shall assign clerical staff to the Committee, and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Committee. The Committee may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120-32.02. Members of the Committee shall receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates set forth in G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, or 138-6, as appropriate. (2013-2, s. 10; 2013-224, s. 19; 2020-3, s. 1.4(c).)

§ 120-70.158: Repealed by Session Laws 2020-3, s. 1.4(c), effective May 4, 2020.