AN ACT directing the department of health and human services, in collaboration with the department of military and veterans affairs, to examine the state's delivery of long‑term care to veterans and determine what improvements can be made to ensure exemplary services moving forward.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  The Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, shall conduct a comprehensive study of the long‑term care needs of veterans in the State which shall, at a minimum, include all of the following:

(1)        An analysis of the veteran population in the State, including demographics and geographic characteristics.

(2)        The various ways in which veterans' long‑term care needs are currently being met by the federal Veterans Administration, the State of North Carolina, local governments in the State, and nongovernmental organizations.

(3)        An estimate of the future veteran population in the State over the next decade, which shall be based on reliable data, including data obtained from the federal Veterans Administration.

(4)        Projected long‑term care needs of veterans over the next decade, including, at a minimum, medical, housing, and transportation needs and anticipated issues of concern that should be addressed to meet those needs.

(5)        Tangible, actionable recommendations that can be executed at every level of government, including legislative and agency‑specific recommendations, to effectively address the long‑term care needs of veterans in the State.

SECTION 1.(b)  In conducting the study, the Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, may contract with appropriate organizations, as needed. No later than February 15, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, shall submit a report of its findings to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government and the Fiscal Research Division.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.