Bill
HB 978
Creates NC Commission on Youth Mentoring within DHHS to fund grants for small/medium youth mentoring nonprofits, with $1.5M/year (2025–27) and annual impact reports.
Status & key dates
- Title: Establish Youth Mentoring Commission / Mentoring Funds
- Introduced: Filed (pre-filed) late 2024; First Reading passed April 14, 2025. Referred to Appropriations (if favorable), Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.
- Effective date (as enacted): July 1, 2025.
- Primary sponsors: Representative Hawkins (with other primary sponsors listed in later drafts: Willis, Colvin).
Purpose
- Create a statewide commission to strengthen and fund community youth mentoring by (1) establishing grant programs for small- to medium-sized mentoring nonprofits, (2) increasing access to high‑quality mentoring, and (3) supporting sustained, well‑trained mentoring networks that reduce youth risk behaviors and support long‑term youth goals.
Key provisions
- Establishes the North Carolina Commission on Youth Mentoring within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
- Directs the Commission to:
- Create and administer a grant program targeted at small- to medium-sized youth mentoring nonprofit organizations located in North Carolina.
- Develop an application process and publicize how organizations may apply.
- Consult with the Council for Women and Youth Involvement as needed.
- Advise the DHHS Secretary on referred matters.
- Produce an annual report (due on or before December 1) to legislative appropriations committee chairs and the Fiscal Research Division that includes number of applicants, awards and recipients, remaining balance, and findings of social impact.
Membership, governance & operations
- Composition: 15 Governor-appointed members representing a mix of stakeholders:
- 1 local mentoring/youth development nonprofit representative
- 1 national-affiliate mentoring nonprofit representative
- 2 youth (ages 16–25) who are mentoring program participants
- 2 business/entrepreneurship representatives
- 2 philanthropic representatives
- 1 DHHS representative
- 1 Department of Public Instruction representative
- 1 Governor’s Office designee
- 2 local educators (one for ages 5–12; one for ages 13–18)
- 1 faith community representative
- 1 local government representative
- Terms: Three-year terms; members serve until successors are appointed.
- Leadership: Commission elects a chair and vice-chair for one-year terms (chair limited to two consecutive years).
- Meetings: At least four times per year; quorum is a majority.
- Compensation: No per diem; travel allowances per state law.
- Staffing: DHHS Secretary is responsible for staffing the Commission.
Funding & appropriation
- Appropriates $1,500,000 in recurring General Fund support to DHHS for each year of the 2025–2027 fiscal biennium to be used for grants to mentoring organizations meeting the Commission’s criteria.
- The statute also allows DHHS to allocate available funds to support Commission work.
Who is affected / potential impact
- Direct beneficiaries: small- and medium-sized nonprofit mentoring programs across North Carolina and their youth participants (including outreach to underserved communities).
- State agencies involved: DHHS (hosts the Commission and staffs it), Department of Public Instruction, Governor’s Office.
- Fiscal impact: recurring appropriations ($1.5M/year for the 2025–2027 biennium) to support grant awards and Commission activities; administrative costs borne within DHHS budget allocations.
Reporting & oversight
- Annual report to legislative appropriations leadership and Fiscal Research Division detailing grant distributions, applicants, recipients, remaining funds, and social impact findings.
Notes / procedural posture
- Language appears across multiple draft editions; the version summarized here reflects the North Carolina House Bill 978 (first/short edition) that creates the Commission and funds grant-making with an appropriation for FY 2025–27. Legislative referrals and committee action indicate the bill was moving through Appropriations and Rules after passing first reading.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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