AN ACT to create the support male survivors of domestic violence grant program and to appropriate funds.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Creation of Grant Program. – The Support Male Survivors of Domestic Violence Grant Program is established within the State Treasury. The program shall be administered by the Department of Administration, North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, and shall be used to make grants to centers, shelters, and other organizations serving survivors of domestic violence for the purpose of developing, maintaining, or expanding services for male survivors of domestic violence. Beginning July 1, 2024, up to twenty‑five percent (25%) of the remaining grant funds may also be distributed to centers, shelters, and other organizations serving survivors of domestic violence for the purpose of raising public awareness of issues surrounding domestic violence against male persons. This program shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of the State Budget Act. The North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement shall allow eligible centers, shelters, and organizations to apply at least quarterly for grant funds and shall make determinations regarding grant program applications within 90 days of (i) each application deadline or (ii) the receipt of each application if there is no application deadline.

SECTION 1.(b)  Restrictions on Grant Program Distributions and Eligibility. – For each fiscal year that grants are distributed, no grant recipient shall receive an amount in excess of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). To be eligible to receive grant funds under this section, a center, shelter, or other organization must be a nonprofit corporation or a local governmental entity.

SECTION 1.(c)  Grant Procedures and Criteria. – The North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement shall establish the procedures and criteria for awarding grants from the Support Male Survivors of Domestic Violence Grant Program. The Council shall make the final decision on the award of grants and shall announce the award publicly in a timely manner.

SECTION 1.(d)  On or before September 1 of each fiscal year, the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement shall report the complete history of distributions of grant funds from the Support Male Survivors of Domestic Violence Grant Program to the chairs of the House General Government Appropriations Committee, the chairs of the Senate Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology Committee, and the Fiscal Research Division of the General Assembly. The report shall include, at a minimum, the date, amount, and recipient of each distribution of grant funds, as well as the current balance of funds appropriated or allocated to be distributed as grant funds under the Support Male Survivors of Domestic Violence Grant Program.

SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration, North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2023‑2024 fiscal year to be used in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Section 1 of this act. These funds shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure by the Council for the purposes set forth in Section 1 of this act.

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2023.