Article 6D.
B-3 Interagency Council.
§ 115C-64.25. Establishment and membership of B-3 Interagency Council.
(a) There is established the B-3 Interagency Council. The Council is a joint council between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Public Instruction and shall consist of 12 voting members and four nonvoting advisory members as follows:
(1) The Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Superintendent's designee shall serve ex officio, with the same rights and privileges, including voting rights, as other members.
(2) The Associate Superintendent of Early Education at the Department of Public Instruction shall serve ex officio, with the same rights and privileges, including voting rights, as other members.
(3) The Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Secretary's designee shall serve ex officio, with the same rights and privileges, including voting rights, as other members.
(4) The Deputy Secretary of Human Services at the Department of Health and Human Services shall serve ex officio, with the same rights and privileges, including voting rights, as other members.
(5) Four public members appointed by the Speaker of House of Representatives who represent organizations that focus on early childhood education and development, one of whom shall be a representative of Smart Start.
(6) Four public members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate who represent organizations that focus on early childhood education and development, one of whom shall be a representative of the North Carolina Partnership for Children.
(7) Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to serve as nonvoting advisory members.
(8) Two members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to serve as nonvoting advisory members.
The Deputy Secretary of Human Services and the Associate Superintendent of Early Education shall serve as cochairs of the Council. Members of the Council shall receive per diem, subsistence, and travel allowance, as provided in G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, or 138-6, as appropriate.
(b) Terms for all public members and advisory members except for the initial appointments shall be for four years. Two of the public members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives pursuant to subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section and one of the advisory members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives pursuant to subdivision (7) of subsection (a) of this section shall be appointed for an initial term of two years. Two of the public members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate pursuant to subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of this section and one of the advisory members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate pursuant to subdivision (8) of subsection (a) of this section shall be appointed for an initial term of two years. Terms for members shall begin on November 1. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed. Any vacancy in the membership of the Council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
(c) The Council shall have as its charge establishing a vision and accountability for a birth through grade three system of early education that addresses all of the following:
(1) Standards and assessment.
(2) Data-driven improvement and outcomes, including shared accountability measures such as the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading.
(3) Teacher and administrator preparation and effectiveness.
(4) Instruction and environment.
(5) Transitions and continuity.
(6) Family engagement.