NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1971 SESSION

CHAPTER 943

SENATE BILL 790

AN ACT FOR PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND SCHOOL COUNSELORS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Chapter 8 of the General Statutes of North Carolina is hereby amended by inserting immediately after G.S. 8-53.3 a new section to be designated G.S. 8-53.4 to read as follows:

"§ 8-53.4.  No person certified by the State Department of Public Instruction as a school counselor and duly appointed or designated as such by the governing body of a public school system within this State or by the head of any private school within this State shall be competent to testify in any action, suit, or proceeding concerning any information acquired in rendering counseling services to any student enrolled in such public school system or private school, and which information was necessary to enable him to render counseling services; provided, however, that this section shall not apply where the student in open court waives the privilege conferred; provided further that the presiding judge may compel such disclosure, if in his opinion the same is necessary to a proper administration of justice."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective upon its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 19th day of July, 1971.