HB 658 North Carolina House · 2025-2026 Session

Optometrists Telehealth Services.

HB 658 allows licensed optometrists in North Carolina to provide telehealth services (remote video consultations) to patients within the state, without requiring the optometrist to be physically present in North Carolina or hold a license in the state where they are located during the consultation. This directly affects optometrists licensed in North Carolina who wish to offer remote care to NC patients. The bill specifies that telehealth practice must follow all existing optometry laws and Board rules, and the North Carolina Board of Examiners in Optometry must create implementing rules by December 2025 covering patient records, diagnoses, and telehealth standards. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Apr 1, 2025 Last action Apr 2, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Filed → Edition 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill's header was updated to reflect a new session date and a revised bill identifier. The most significant change is the expansion of the sponsor list to include four representatives, indicating broader legislative support, while the referral to the Health Committee was updated with a specific date.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope regarding optometrist telehealth services remains unchanged; the modifications are administrative and procedural.

TECHNICAL

Added three new sponsors (Representatives Huneycutt, Almond, and Lowery) to the bill's sponsorship list, expanding the primary sponsors from one to four.

Updated the bill's session date from April 1, 2025, to April 2, 2025, and changed the bill identifier from DRH10309-NB-129 to H658-v-1.

Added a note directing readers to the official website for a complete list of all sponsors.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Introduced

Filed

lower

3 primary · 12 co-sponsors