NC H919

Appropriates $3,875,000 from the General Fund to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors for the 2017-2018 fiscal year for advance planning, design fees, and preconstruction activities for a School of Optometry at UNC Pembroke.

Establishes funding to support construction of a facility to house the School of Optometry at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, the state's Historically American Indian University.

Addresses North Carolina's lack of an in-state optometry school and the need for optometric services in economically disadvantaged rural areas, particularly in southeastern North Carolina.

Recognizes UNC Pembroke's role as an anchor institution for economic development in the region and its proximity to health care systems and Fort Bragg military installation for clinical training opportunities.

Becomes effective July 1, 2017.