Funding Vocational Rehabilitation.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1099

Short Title: Funding Vocational Rehabilitation. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Reives and Belk (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 30, 2026
*H1099-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO APPROPRIAT E FUNDS TO BE USED F OR GRANTS PROVIDING 2
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION TRAINING FOR INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING 3
IN A LOCAL JUDICIALL Y MANAGED ACCOUNTABI LITY AND RECOVERY 4
COURT. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 7
Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and 8
Substance Use Services, the sum of seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) in 9
nonrecurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used to provide grant funds to counties to 10
allow local judicially managed accountability and recovery courts to obtain vocational 11
rehabilitation training and other employment -related services and supports for individuals 12
assigned to a local judicially managed accountability and recovery court. Training obtained for 13
individuals under this section shall be provided by a North Carolina community college, the 14
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, an NCWor ks partner, a local workforce 15
development board, a registered apprenticeship sponsor, or another public or private provider 16
approved by the Department in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts. Grant 17
funds received pursuant to this secti on may also be used to provide transportation to these 18
trainings and other reasonable supports necessary to enable participation in training or 19
employment, including books, testing fees, licensing or certification fees, uniforms, tools, 20
equipment, and child care. Services provided under this section shall be reasonably related to the 21
participant's case plan, treatment plan, recovery plan, vocational rehabilitation plan, or other 22
individualized assessment-based plan. 23
SECTION 1.(b) The grant funds distribute d pursuant to this section shall be 24
distributed through a competitive grant program developed and managed by the Department of 25
Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and 26
Substance Use Services, in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts. No county 27
may receive grant funds distributed pursuant to this section in excess of one hundred fifty 28
thousand dollars ($150,000) in a single fiscal year, except that the Department may waive this 29
limitation for good cause shown based on participant volume, documented need, regional service 30
gaps, or multijurisdictional program participation. 31
SECTION 2. Within 60 days of distributing a grant pursuant to this act, the 32
Department of Health and Human Services shall re port to the Joint Legislative Oversight 33
Committee on Health and Human Services the county receiving the grant and the amount of 34
funds awarded. The Department shall also report no later than March 1, 2027, to the Joint 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1099-First Edition
Legislative Oversight Committee on Hea lth and Human Services and the Joint Legislative 1
Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety on the number of participants served, the types 2
of services funded, and any available information regarding training completion, credential 3
attainment, employment placement, employment retention, and program completion outcomes. 4
SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, funds 5
appropriated and distributed pursuant to this act shall not revert until June 30, 2028. 6
SECTION 4. This act becomes effective July 1, 2026. 7