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.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 18, 2025
Last action May 1, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Filed
→
Edition 1
·
3 edits
MINOR
This revision updates the bill's formatting and sponsorship information while making a substantive change to Section 2. The bill now lists additional sponsors and includes more committees in its referral list. Most significantly, the effective date and applicability language was moved from the beginning of the bill to Section 2, clarifying when the law takes effect and which contracts it covers.
Scope change
The bill's applicability remains the same (contracts issued, renewed, or amended on or after October 1, 2025), but the location of this information changed from the preamble to Section 2 for better organization.
TECHNICAL
Added additional sponsors (Representatives White, Humphrey, and Tyson) and expanded the referral committee list to include Insurance, Health, Judiciary 1, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.
Moved the effective date and applicability language from the bill preamble to Section 2 for improved organization and clarity.
Updated bill identification numbers and formatting throughout the document from the original filing version to the first edition.
Floor votes · House Apr 30, 2025
How they voted
115–0
Passed · 6 other
Total votes 121
Apr 30, 2025
D
Democratic46
93% Yea
I
Independent2
100% Yea
R
Republican73
95% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
16
Key actions
3
Committee
7
May 1, 2025
Committee
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
upper
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed 3rd Reading
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Committee
Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reptd Fav
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Committee
Re-ref Com On Health
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reptd Fav
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Committee
Serial Referral To Judiciary 1 Stricken
lower
Feb 21, 2025
Committee
Ref to the Com on Insurance, if favorable, Health, if favorable, Judiciary 1, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced
Filed
lower
3 primary · 16 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Chris Humphrey
RRepublican
P
Donna White
RRepublican
P
EP
Erin Paré
RRepublican
Co
Allen Chesser
RRepublican
Co
Bill Ward
RRepublican
Co
David Willis
RRepublican
Co
Frances Jackson
DDemocratic
Co
Garland Pierce
DDemocratic
Co
Grant Campbell
RRepublican
Co
Jake Johnson
RRepublican
Co
Jeff McNeely
RRepublican
Co
Jeff Zenger
RRepublican
Co
Jennifer Balkcom
RRepublican
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