SB 323 establishes a $9.6 million annual grant program (2025-2027) to provide free condoms and lubricants to students in North Carolina public high schools, community colleges, and UNC system institutions. It directly affects these educational settings by requiring grant recipients to offer supplies in designated campus locations without parental permission, while prioritizing student privacy and collaboration with health organizations. Key mechanisms include mandatory Student Health Advisory Committees, annual reporting on usage and health savings, and rules ensuring grants supplement rather than replace existing funding. The program aims to reduce STI-related healthcare costs and support student retention through preventive health access.
HB 710 establishes a three-year pilot program to fund mental health crisis units in North Carolina public schools. It allocates $2 million total (up to $250,000 annually per district) to select up to eight school districts starting in 2025-2026, prioritizing those with high student mental health needs or trauma history. Each participating district must staff units with at least a school nurse, social worker, and licensed counselor to provide crisis intervention during school hours and rotate across schools. The program requires annual reports on participating districts and student mental health impacts, ending June 30, 2028.
SB 91 allows qualified emergency facilities (like hospitals, police stations, and fire departments) to install secure "newborn safety devices" where parents can safely leave infants under 30 days old without legal consequences. The bill requires these devices to be temperature-controlled, equipped with dual alarms, inspected weekly, and located visibly on the facility exterior. Facilities must cover installation costs, develop emergency response plans, and undergo annual inspections by the Department of Health and Human Services. This law directly affects parents seeking to surrender infants safely and the 24-hour emergency facilities that install these devices, effective October 1, 2025.
HB 276 expands the definition of "killed in the line of duty" for firefighters to include deaths caused by specific cancers that previously qualified them for benefits under North Carolina's Firefighters' Cancer Insurance Program. The bill adds seven specific cancers (like mesothelioma and testicular cancer) to the list and includes any cancer diagnosis that already provided benefits under the existing program. It also formally links the Firefighters' Health Benefits Pilot Program to the Cancer Insurance Program, ensuring consistent coverage, and appropriates $2 million annually for related death benefits starting July 1, 2025. This change directly affects firefighters diagnosed with covered cancers and their families, who will now qualify for death benefits under the Public Safety Employees' Death Benefits Act.
SB 384 requires North Carolina's Commission for Public Health to establish safe limits for specific toxic chemicals in drinking water by October 2025. It targets chemicals like PFAS, PFOA, PFOS, hexavalent chromium, and 1,4-Dioxane - known or suspected carcinogens - mandating limits based on scientific evidence and ensuring they do not exceed federal EPA standards. The law also requires annual reviews of new research to update these limits as needed. This directly affects all North Carolina residents who rely on public water systems, with special consideration for children, infants, and pregnant people.
HB 933 increases Medicaid rates to ensure direct care workers for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities earn at least $18 per hour, affecting home/community providers, group homes, and waiver programs like NC Innovations. It adds 1,000 slots to the NC Innovations waiver program (with $36 million in annual state funding) and requires a 10-year plan to address unmet service needs. The bill also removes income and resource limits for Medicaid eligibility under the Health Coverage for Workers with Disabilities program. These changes take effect July 1, 2025, with $183 million in annual state funding supporting the wage increases and $36 million for new waiver slots.
HB 681 directs the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services to update state rules for outpatient opioid treatment programs (OTPs). The bill aims to align these rules more closely with federal regulations governing medications for opioid use disorder, affecting patients receiving treatment and the OTPs providing care. Key changes include removing home environment stability as a criterion for take-home medication and prohibiting administrative discharge due to continued substance use or missed doses. It also reduces the frequency of required drug tests, removes observed testing, and allows OTPs to administer methadone to non-enrolled patients. The Commission must engage with clients and providers for input and publish the proposed amended rules by July 1, 2025.
HB 675 modifies the credentialing requirements for various emergency medical services personnel, including EMTs, paramedics, and emergency medical responders. Beginning January 1, 2026, individuals seeking new or renewed credentials must pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination. Those currently holding non-NREMT state credentials prior to this date must obtain NREMT certification by January 1, 2030. The bill also requires a criminal history background check for applicants and mandates specific examinations from the International Board of Specialty Certification for specialty roles.
SB 624 requires licenses for artificial intelligence chatbots that handle health information in North Carolina, directly affecting developers and operators of such tools. The bill mandates strict licensing applications detailing technical security, data practices, and risk management, with the Department of Justice reviewing for safety, compliance, and efficacy. Licensees must implement encryption, report data breaches within 24 hours, obtain explicit user consent, allow data access/deletion, and demonstrate clinical effectiveness through peer-reviewed studies. It also requires annual third-party audits, quarterly safety reports, and clear disclosures about the chatbot's artificial nature and limitations. The law applies only to chatbots substantially handling health data, including medical conditions, mental health, reproductive care, genetic information, and location data tied to health services.
SB 239 increases the hourly wage for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) serving Medicaid beneficiaries under North Carolina's Innovations waiver program by $5 per hour for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and another $5 per hour for 2026-2027. The law requires providers receiving this funding to use at least 90% of the increased payments to raise DSP wages directly, with verification through payroll documentation. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHB) will adjust payments to managed care organizations (LME/MCOs), which must pass the increase to providers and report quarterly on DSP wage changes. This policy directly affects DSPs working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their employers under the waiver program.
