Healthcare

in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 25, 2025

SB 406: Allow ERPOs to Prevent Suicides and Save Lives.

SB 406 would establish a new court process in North Carolina called Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), allowing family members, law enforcement, or health care providers to seek temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed to pose a significant risk of self-harm or harm to others. Courts could issue emergency orders without the person present if danger is imminent, requiring immediate surrender of firearms and ammunition, with seizure ordered if compliance fails. The bill mandates specific evidence in petitions (e.g., details on firearms and safety risks), includes due process safeguards like verifying existing protection orders, and waives court costs for petitioners. It also requires annual reports to the legislature tracking ERPO usage, including petitions filed, orders issued, and denials.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeSB 406 establishes ERPOs to prevent gun violence through court-ordered firearm removal, directly advancing criminal justice reform by addressing firearm risks proactively.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables healthcare providers to petition for ERPOs to prevent suicide, directly advancing mental health intervention and safety measures.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Firearms

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 674: Lic. Mental Health Reciprocity/Recognition.

SB 674 allows licensed mental health professionals (including clinical counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists) from other states to practice in North Carolina more easily. It requires applicants to have actively practiced for at least two of the past five years, pass background checks, pay fees, and provide a social security number. The bill mandates licensing boards must issue or deny licenses within 60 days of application, streamlining access to mental health services without replacing existing interstate compacts.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStreamlines out-of-state mental health professional licensing, improving access to services per bill's focus on reducing barriers for licensed practitioners.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

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passed · North Carolina · House May 7, 2025

HB 618: Ivermectin Access Act.

House Bill 618, the "Ivermectin Access Act," directs the State Health Director to issue a statewide standing order that allows licensed pharmacists to dispense ivermectin for human use. Under this order, pharmacists would be authorized to provide ivermectin without requiring a written prescription or consultation from a healthcare professional. The bill also grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to the State Health Director for issuing the order and to any pharmacist who dispenses ivermectin in accordance with it. The State Health Director is required to issue this statewide standing order by October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without prescription, directly expanding patient access to medication per healthcare access indicator.90% confidence

Track

passed · North Carolina · House Apr 3, 2025

HB 71: Respiratory Care Modernization Act.

HB 71, the Respiratory Care Modernization Act, updates North Carolina's laws governing respiratory care practice. It creates a new "Advanced respiratory care practitioner" (ARCP) category for licensed professionals with postgraduate training, requiring Board-endorsed competency for advanced procedures. The bill clarifies that ARCPs cannot diagnose, prescribe, or perform invasive procedures without physician supervision, while defining their scope to include cardiopulmonary care and tasks delegated by physicians. This directly affects respiratory care practitioners and patients by standardizing advanced practice rules and ensuring procedures align with current professional standards. The changes aim to reflect modern respiratory care practices without altering basic licensing requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates new ARCP category with defined scope for advanced respiratory care, expanding qualified practitioners' roles under supervision to improve access to specialized services within healthcare framework.85% confidence

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 26, 2025

HB 499: NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act.

HB 499, the North Carolina Paid Family Leave Insurance Act, would create a state-run program providing up to 26 weeks of paid leave for eligible workers in North Carolina starting January 1, 2027. It directly affects most employees who meet income and work requirements, allowing them to take leave for the birth or adoption of a child (up to 12 weeks), caring for a seriously ill family member (up to 12 weeks), their own serious health condition (up to 18 weeks), or caring for a military service member (up to 26 weeks). The program is funded through employee contributions and administered by the Division of Employment Security, with specific definitions of eligible family members and protections against employer retaliation for taking leave. The bill does not cover federal employees or the U.S. government.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides paid leave for serious health conditions (up to 18 weeks) and family care, improving access to healthcare services without income loss, aligning with healthcare access indicators.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates state-run paid family leave program expanding worker benefits for childbirth, care, and health conditions under employment protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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passed · North Carolina · House Apr 30, 2025

HB 107: Adopt Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Week.

House Bill 107 designates the second week of November each year as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Week in North Carolina. Additionally, it encourages local boards of education to develop and offer seizure awareness training for school personnel who are responsible for students with epilepsy or who are otherwise predisposed to seizures. This training aims to provide school staff with information to support these students.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareDesignates SUDEP Awareness Week and mandates school seizure training, advancing public health education for epilepsy management.90% confidence

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died · North Carolina · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 585: Local Govts/Mental Health/ CC Tuition Waiver.

SB 585 creates a tuition and registration fee waiver for mental health clinicians and peer support specialists working in municipal or county emergency medical services (EMS), rescue, or lifesaving departments. It specifically applies to professionals embedded in 911 call centers to direct mental health resources or paired with first responders during emergency calls. The bill amends North Carolina's community college tuition waiver rules to add these departments as eligible entities, allowing their employees to take approved community college courses without tuition costs. This policy directly affects local government emergency response teams and their mental health staff, effective July 1, 2025. The waiver covers standard tuition and registration fees for relevant training programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates tuition waiver for mental health professionals at community colleges, directly advancing higher education access for a specific workforce.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates tuition waiver for mental health clinicians in EMS, expanding access to mental health services by supporting workforce development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Mental Health

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passed · North Carolina · House May 1, 2025

HB 156: Increase Access for Small Employers/Insurance.

HB 156 sets minimum standards for stop loss, catastrophic, and reinsurance coverage provided to small employers in North Carolina. It directly affects small employers (defined as those with fewer than 12 eligible employees) and insurers selling these specific insurance products. The bill requires insurers to maintain a minimum annual attachment point of $20,000 per individual (adjusted annually using the Consumer Price Index) and a minimum aggregate attachment point of either 120% of expected claims or $20,000 per year. These standards apply to all new, renewed, or amended insurance contracts issued on or after October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareSets minimum insurance standards (e.g., $20k attachment point) for small employers, directly improving coverage access and protecting against excessive out-of-pocket costs for healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 11, 2025

HB 339: Economic Security Act.

HB 339, the Economic Security Act, raises North Carolina's minimum wage to $22 per hour effective January 2026, with annual inflation adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index. It mandates equal pay for equal work, requires paid sick leave and family medical leave for all employees, and strengthens workplace safety protections. The bill also restores inflation-adjusted unemployment benefits, ends wage theft, removes criminal history questions from job applications ("banning the box"), and expands tax credits for childcare and low-income workers. Additionally, it creates a presumption that essential workers infected with COVID-19 contracted it on the job and appropriates funds for cost-of-living adjustments for public retirees.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly includes 'ban the box' provision removing criminal history questions from job applications, a direct criminal justice reform to reduce employment barriers for people with records and lower recidivism.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePaid sick leave and family medical leave provisions improve healthcare access; subjects include 'DISEASES & HEALTH DISORDERS' and 'PUBLIC HEALTH'.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRaises minimum wage to $22/hr, mandates equal pay, paid sick/family leave, strengthens safety rules, ends wage theft, and bans criminal history questions - directly advancing worker protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage Paid Leave

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died · North Carolina · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 533: Vaping and Gambling Addiction Prev. Strategies.

SB 533 raises North Carolina's minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including smart vapes and other vapor products, from 18 to 21 years old. It requires retailers to display clear age restriction signs, verify customer age through ID for in-person sales, and use third-party age verification for online orders. The bill also prohibits tobacco sales via vending machines except in 21+ establishments and mandates employee training on age restrictions. Additionally, it directs lottery gaming revenues to fund gambling addiction education and treatment programs. The bill directly affects retailers, vendors, and anyone under 21 seeking these products.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRaises tobacco purchase age to 21 to prevent youth addiction, aligning with public health goals to reduce smoking-related health risks and protect minors' health.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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