HB 495, the "Accessing Midwives Act," establishes a licensing system for Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in North Carolina. It requires CPMs to obtain a state license to practice midwifery care - covering pregnancy, birth, and postpartum support - while exempting existing Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs), physicians, and emergency care. The bill creates the North Carolina Council of Midwives to set standards and oversee licensing, with members including CPMs, physicians, and community representatives. This directly affects CPMs seeking legal practice and aims to standardize midwifery care under state regulation.
SB 160, the Respiratory Care Modernization Act, updates North Carolina's laws governing respiratory care professionals to reflect current practices, especially after increased pandemic demands. It creates a new "Advanced respiratory care practitioner" (ARCP) role for licensed professionals with specialized training, allowing them to perform advanced procedures under physician supervision - while explicitly excluding medical diagnosis, prescribing, or invasive surgeries. The bill clarifies the scope of practice for both standard respiratory care practitioners and ARCPs, defining permitted tasks like mechanical ventilation support and diagnostic testing, and establishing requirements for board-approved training. This directly affects respiratory therapists seeking advanced roles, their supervising physicians, and healthcare facilities providing respiratory care services.
SB 617, the Accessing Certified Professional Midwives Act, establishes a licensing requirement for Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in North Carolina who must hold national certification from the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). The bill creates the North Carolina Council of Certified Professional Midwives, composed of seven members (four CPMs, one physician, and two community consumers), to administer licensing, set practice rules, and review standards. It directly affects CPMs seeking to legally practice midwifery, requiring them to obtain a state license while exempting existing nurse midwives, physicians, and emergency childbirth assistance. The law defines key terms like antepartal, intrapartal, and postpartal care to clarify scope of practice under the new licensing framework.
SB 277 appropriates $750,000 annually from the state general fund to the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC) program for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The funds aim to improve recruitment, training, and retention of medical students and healthcare professionals in rural North Carolina. Key mechanisms include requiring NC AHEC to regularly convene stakeholders to share best practices and create a public database of this shared information. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, directly supporting rural healthcare workforce development.
HB 464 requires every public school in North Carolina - including traditional, charter, regional, and laboratory schools - to have at least one full-time, permanent school nurse starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill appropriates $95 million from the state General Fund for the 2025-2026 school year to fund these additional nursing positions, with funds designated to supplement - not replace - existing school nurse funding. It amends multiple statutes to mandate this staffing requirement across all public school units. The law becomes effective July 1, 2025, with implementation beginning for the 2025-2026 school year.
SB 360 requires every public school in North Carolina (including traditional, charter, regional, and laboratory schools) to have at least one full-time, permanent school nurse starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill appropriates $95 million in recurring state funds to the Department of Public Instruction to cover the cost of adding these nurse positions, ensuring funding supplements existing resources without replacing them. This policy directly affects all K-12 public schools across the state by mandating nurse staffing levels and providing dedicated funding to meet that requirement. The law becomes effective July 1, 2025, with implementation beginning for the 2025-2026 school year.
SB 414 allows licensed pharmacists (specifically clinical pharmacist practitioners) to test for and treat certain conditions like influenza, COVID-19, and strep throat using FDA-approved CLIA-waived tests, without requiring a physician referral. It mandates that health insurers cover these pharmacist-provided services at the same level as services from other healthcare providers, if performed within the pharmacist’s scope of practice. The bill prohibits pharmacists from treating conditions with controlled substances (Schedules I-IV) and requires statewide protocols for implementation by October 1, 2025. This directly affects pharmacists, patients seeking these specific services, and health insurers across North Carolina.
SB 537 defines the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in North Carolina, specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). The bill provides statutory definitions for each role, detailing permitted activities like diagnosing conditions, prescribing medications, ordering diagnostic tests, and managing patient care within their specialized focus areas. By codifying these definitions in state law, the bill removes longstanding ambiguity about APRN practice that has persisted for decades, as noted by North Carolina courts and the executive branch. This change directly affects over 20,000 APRNs in the state by legally clarifying their scope of practice.
HB 514 defines the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in North Carolina, including nurse practitioners (NPs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). The bill explicitly outlines the specific responsibilities for each role - such as CNMs managing reproductive health care, NPs diagnosing and treating illnesses, and CRNAs administering anesthesia - removing ambiguity in current law. It directly affects over 20,000 APRNs in North Carolina who currently face restrictions due to undefined practice parameters. The legislation aims to align North Carolina with 36 other states that have clarified APRN authority without compromising patient safety, as supported by research cited in the bill. This statutory definition is intended to improve healthcare access and reduce costs by enabling APRNs to practice to the full extent of their training.
HB 509, the Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, codifies the constitutional protections for abortion access established in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey by prohibiting North Carolina from imposing restrictions that create an undue burden before fetal viability. The bill allows state restrictions only after fetal viability to preserve life or health and defines "undue burden" as any substantial obstacle to accessing abortion care. It removes barriers such as unnecessary parental consent requirements for minors and expands the scope of healthcare providers (including nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives) who can perform or assist with abortion care. Additionally, the bill requires health insurance plans to cover abortion services and related complications, ensuring broader access for insured individuals.
