Simple rollover to a new year's file?

[Tom from Cary]

The way I would like to operate with GnuCash, I think, is to have a 
separate main data file for each calendar year's data.  In the version I'm 
using, 1.6.6, there's a tool that helps with that some, by initializing a 
new file with its chart of accounts copied from an existing file.  

What I'd like to add to that is to carry over balances as well, for asset 
and liability accounts.  Cash balances, generally; or, for an account 
holding a "commodity" other than my home currency, such as a stock, the 
share balance, and, ideally, the last recorded price.  

Does anything like this exist in a newer version?  Or is anyone working on 
it?  (It's still a lot less than a true accounting year-end close-out, 
which I believe is on the to-do list; that would be more suited for a 
business than an individual, I think).  

Thanks.  / Tom Edelson