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A DMINISTRATION <br />OF JUSTICE <br /> <br />Number 98/03 December 1998 Robert L. Farb, Editor <br /> <br />998 LEGISLATION :J NILE LAW REFORM <br /> <br />Janet Mason <br /> <br /> ~ its 1998 session, the General Assembly undertook the first complete review and revision of <br />._.jorth Carolina's juvenile laws since 1979. The Juvenile Justice Reform Act. S.L. 1998-202 <br />(.S 1260). substantially changes the procedures and sanctions that apply to young people who <br />"!olate the law (delinquent juveniles) or commit status offenses such as ruxmmg away from <br /> ome or being beyond a pareto's control (undisciplined juveniles), It also rewrites and recodi- <br />'nes numerous other juvenile laws. <br /> In response to federal funding requirements, the General Assembly also enacted the Adop- <br />on and Safe Families Act. S.L. 1998-229 (II 1720), which makes less e.xxensive, but signifi- <br />.__mt, changes relaling to child abuse, neglect, dependency., and ternunation of parental fights <br /> proceedings. Bills that would have made much more ex'tensive changes in those laws (H 1561 <br /> nd S 1513) were not enacted, but the Legislative Research Commission is authorized to review <br /> ~ose proposals and make recolmnendations about them to the 1999 General Assembly. <br /> <br /> kbused, Neglected, and Dependent Juveniles <br /> <br /> Thc Adoption and Safe Families Act, S.L. 1998-229 (H 1720), makes numerous changes <br /> ~ thc parts of the Juvenile Code that apply to abused, neglected, and dependent juveniles and <br />~ thc law regarding termination of parental fights. It also amends the adoption law. G.S. <br />'-Chapter 48. to requffe criminal history, checks of prospective adoptive parents for cl~ldrcn <br /> x~ho arc in thc custody of a counW department of social services. <br /> <br />~Effective Dates <br /> Unless a different date is specified, the statutory changes described in this section are <br />~ffective January, 1. 1999. and apply to <br /> <br /> £. abuse, neglect, and dependency, reports received, juvenile petitions filed, and review <br /> hearings commenced on or after that date: and <br /> 2. termination of parental rights petitions filed on or after that date. <br /> <br /> The author is an Institute of Government faculty member who works in the areas of <br />~juvenile law and social services law. <br /> <br /> <br />