Ashley Rodriguez, Author at North Carolina Medical Society

HB 395 – Extend Deadlines for Mandatory HIE Participation

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly); Rep. Larry Potts (R-Davidson); Rep. Kristin Baker, MD (R-Cabarrus); Rep. Michael Wray (D-Halifax, Northampton)

Summary

This bill extends deadlines for mandatory participation in the statewide health information exchange network as follows:

Requires participation by ambulatory surgical centers, licensed dentists, licensed physicians with a primary practice in psychiatry and the State Lab of Public Health by June 1, 2022.
Requires participation by registered pharmacies and state health care facilities under the DHHS Secretary’s jurisdiction by June 1, 2022.
Requires participation by other providers of Medicaid and State-funded health care services not otherwise provided by October 1, 2022.

Movement

Filed – 3/24/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 393/SB 215 – Health Insurance/Former City Council/Greensboro

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Gladys Robinson (D-Guilford); Sen. Michael Garrett (D-Guilford)

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford); Rep. Ashton Clemmons (D-Guilford); Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford)

Summary

This bill permits the City of Greensboro to provide health insurance for all former city council members who are not receiving retirement benefits and who have obtained at least 8 years of service prior to separation from the city.

This bill also prohibits the City of Greensboro from providing health insurance through the State Health Plan to any class of former officers, employers, or council members who are not receiving retirement benefits.

Movement

SB 215

Filed – 3/9/2021

This bill was referred to the following Senate Committees:

-Rules and Operations

HB 393

Filed – 3/24/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 248/HB 391 – Dental Patient Transparency Act

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir, Wayne); Sen. Todd Johnson (R-Union); Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell, Yadkin)

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Kristin Baker, MD (R-Cabarrus); Rep. Larry Potts (R-Davidson); Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth)

Summary

This bill requires insurers offering a dental services benefit plan which provides a designation or rating system for dentists in the benefit plan network to: (1) utilize fair and accurate designations and/or rating systems, (2) disclosure to consumers and dentists the basis for the designation or rating, and (3) provide a mechanism for a dentist to challenge and correct any erroneous designation or erroneous data use for the designation or rating.

This bill also requires health plans to add an indication of whether a health benefit plan is fully insured or self-funded on the plan’s insurance cards. Plans that are fully insured must be include the phrase “NCDOI” to indicate to the consumer that the Department of Insurance is able to provide assistance regarding the regulation of the plan.

Movement

SB 248

Filed – 3/11/2021

This bill was referred to the following Senate Committees:

-Rules and Operations

HB 391

Filed – 3/24/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 390 – School Calendar Flexibility/Certain Systems

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jake Johnson (R-Henderson, Polk, Transylvania); Rep. Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson)

Summary

This bill allows local board of education located in Henderson County, Polk County, and Transylvania County to determine the dates of opening and closing of public schools provided the opening date is no earlier than August 15.

Movement

Filed – 3/24/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 382 – Hospital ED Care/Medicaid Behavioral Health Services

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Larry Potts (R-Davidson); Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly)

Summary

This bill specifies that it is the intent of the General Assembly to provide funding to hospitals for behavioral health services provided to Medicaid beneficiaries while those beneficiaries await discharge to a more appropriate setting.

This bill also:

Directs the Division of Health Benefits to develop a clinical coverage policy, assign a CPT code, and develop billing instructions for Medicaid coverage of certain specified services provided to a beneficiary who: 1) no longer meets criteria for observation under the specified Medicaid Clinical Coverage Policy; 2) is not currently receiving inpatient behavioral health services covered under Medicaid Clinical Coverage Policy 8B: Inpatient Behavioral Health Services; and 3) a physician, PA, or NP has determined that it would be appropriate for the beneficiary to be admitted to an inpatient psychiatric or behavioral health facility, admitted to a facility for care for psychiatric or behavioral needs, or requires community-based services or supports to be safely discharged to the beneficiary’s home.
Specifies the services to be covered by the Medicaid Clinical Coverage Policy, including crisis stabilization and support, development of a safety plan, and reasonable and appropriate efforts to maintain patient safety.
Requires DHHS to submit any State Plan amendments necessary to establish new Medicaid reimbursement or rates for these services to CMS for approval.

Movement

Filed – 3/24/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 345 – PA Team-Based Practice

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir, Wayne); Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover); Sen. Todd Johnson (R-Union)

Summary

This bill makes various adjustments to the licensure and supervision arrangement of physician assistants including the following modifications:

Requires a PA to execute and maintain a supervisory agreement with a physician unless the PA practices in a team-based setting and has more than 4,000 hours or practice experience as a licensed PA and more than 1,000 hours of practice within the specific medical specialty of practice with a physician in that specialty.
Defines “team-based setting” to include 1) a medical practice organized pursuant to G.S. 55B-14(c)(3); 2) a physician-owned medical practice where the physician owner has consistent and meaningful participation in the design and implementation of health services to patients; 3) licensed health facilities with active credentialing and quality programs where physicians have consistent and meaningful participation in the design and implementation of health services to patient.
Specifically excludes medical practices that specialize in pain management from the definition of “team-based setting.”
Requires PAs to collaborate and consult with or refer to appropriate team members as required.
Requires supervision of a PA practicing in a perioperative setting, including the provision of surgical or anesthesia-related services.
States that a PA is responsible for the care provided by the PA.
Specifies required content of the supervisory arrangement, including the terms of clinical oversight, the onboarding or orientation process, quality measures to be achieved, scope of delated duties, and plan for interval expansion, and requires the arrangement be made available to the Board immediately upon request.
Requires PAs with supervisory arrangements to submit an “Intent to Practice” to the Medical Board before initiating the practice of medical acts or functions of a PA.
Requires consultation with a physician (rather than the supervising physician) for the prescription of targeted controlled substances under certain conditions.
Requires PAs to clearly designate their credentials in all clinical settings.
Clarifies that a PA’s authority to order medications, tests and treatment in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other health facilities requires review by a supervising physician only if the PA is subject to a supervisory agreement.
Authorizes PAs to prescribe, dispense, compound, order, administer, and procure drugs and medical services, and plan and initiate a therapeutic regimen that includes ordering and prescribing non-pharmacological interventions and diagnostic support services.
Authorizes PAs to authenticate any document, including death certificates, to the same extent as a physician.
Prohibits PAs from performing final interpretations of diagnostic imaging studies.
Expands current statute to allow a PA to conduct the required health assessment of a child prior to admission to a child care facility.

Movement

Filed – 3/24/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 376 – School Calendar Flexibility

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Phil Shepard (R-Onslow); Rep. George Cleveland (R-Onslow)

Summary

This bill allows local boards of education to determine the dates of opening and closing of public schools provided the opening date is not earlier than August 19.

Movement

Filed – 3/23/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 370 – No Veteran Left Behind

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. John Bell, IV (R-Greene, Johnston, Wayne); Rep. Tim Moore (R-Cleveland); Rep. George Cleveland (R-Onslow); Rep. Charles Miller (R-Brunswick, New Hanover)

Summary

This bill appropriates $500K to The Independence Fund, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of veterans and their families, in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to establish a pilot program to expand the Veterans Justice Intervention program.

The program must, in part, educate first responders, local community support employees, and others on veteran-specific crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and available VA resources.

Movement

Filed – 3/23/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 366 – Regulatory Reform Act of 2021

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Larry Yarborough (R-Granville, Person); Rep. John Bradford, III (R-Mecklenburg); Rep. Timothy Moffit (R-Henderson); Rep. Dennis Riddell (R-Alamance)

Summary

This bill:

Amends the exception to the statute prohibiting specified public officials from benefitting from public contracts by allowing a municipality or specified type of board or hospital to undertake or contract with one of its officials if approved by specific resolution of the appropriate governing body and the contract amount does not exceed $60K (was $40K) for goods or services within a 12-month period, and it maintains the $20K cap for medically related services.
Requires the Division of Childhood Development and Early Education to post certain information related to education opportunities for kindergarten on its website.
Modifies and adds to the factors the Division of Water Infrastructure must consider when evaluating applications for loans and grants from the Wastewater Reserve or the Drinking Water Reserve.
Provides that proof of mailing is sufficient proof of notice of insurance cancellation.

Movement

Filed – 3/23/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 364 – Funds for the Expansion of NC Pre-K

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford); Rep. Cynthia Ball (D-Wake); Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Caswell, Orange); Rep. Ashton Clemmons (D-Guilford)

Summary

This bill appropriates $12.5M recurring for each year of the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium to the Division of Child Development and Early Education to be used to expand access to the NC Pre-K program.

Movement

Filed – 3/23/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 351 – Clifford’s Law

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin, Onslow); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Ben Moss, Jr. (R-Montgomery, Richmond, Stanly)

Summary

This bill requires the DHHS Secretary to establish, in consultation with licensed operators of nursing homes, combination homes, and hospice care facilities, visitation protocols to be effective during a disaster declaration or other emergency that suspends or curtails the facility’s normal visitation policy for any reason. The protocols must: 1) provide each resident with the right to designate one preapproved visitor and one preapproved alternate visitor and allow visitation by one of these visitors at least twice per month during the emergency, 2) be explained and provided to each resident in writing prior to admission, and 3) provide for visitation consistent with the guidelines, conditions, and limitations established by the facility as part of its normal visitation policy.

Movement

Filed – 3/22/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 348 – Add School Nurses for Healthier Students

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Gale Adcock (D-Wake); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. Rose Gill (D-Wake); Rep. Brian Farkas (D-Pitt)

Summary

This bill requires local boards of education and the State Board of Education to ensure that all public schools are staffed with at least one full-time, permanent school nurse.

This bill also requires charter schools, regional schools, and laboratory schools to ensure these schools are staffed with at least one full-time, permanent school nurse.

This bill also appropriates $102M in recurring funds for the 2021-2020 fiscal year to the Department of Instruction to be used to increase positions for school nurses.

Movement

Filed – 3/22/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 346 – Funds for Down Syndrome Programs

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. John Bradford, III (R-Mecklenburg)

Summary

This bill appropriates $2,500,000 in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and $2,500,000 in nonrecurring funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to DHHS to be exclusively used to support programs designed to assist individuals and their families with Down Syndrome.

This bill also prohibits funds from being used to support any program that does not have an established record of providing at least one of the following services to adult individuals with Down Syndrome: (1) assistance with dignified integration into the community, (2)housing assistance, or (3) job training, job placement, or both.

Movement

Filed – 3/22/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 331/HB 347 – Healthy Students – Nurses in Every School

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Wiley Nickel (D-Wake); Sen. Sarah Crawford (D-Franklin, Wake); Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed (D-Mecklenburg)

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Cynthia Ball (D-Wake); Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. John Ager (D-Buncombe); Rep. Linda Cooper-Suggs (D-Wilson)

Summary

This bill requires local boards of education to ensure that each school within the local school administrative unit is staffed by at least one full-time, permanent school nurse.

This bill also appropriates $102M in recurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to the Department of Instruction to be used to increase positions for school nurses.

Movement

SB 331

Filed – 3/22/2021

HB 347

Filed – 3/22/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 316 – Support Maternal Health/Extend Medicaid Coverage

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Verla Insko (D-Orange); Rep. Robert Reives, II (D-Chatham, Durham); Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Linda Cooper-Suggs (D-Wilson)

Summary

This bill directs DHHS to implement continued Medicaid eligibility of pregnant women for 12 months postpartum beginning on April 1, 2022.

This bill also appropriates $12,344,000 in recurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and $50,816,000 in recurring funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to DHHS to be used to implement the change, and requires that matched federal funds also be appropriated to DHHS to be used to implement the change.

Movement

Filed 03/16/2021

This bill was referred to the following House Committees:

-Rules, Calendar, and Operations

by Ashley Rodriguez

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey); Rep. Joyce Krawiec (R-Davie, Forsyth); Rep. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett, Johnston, Lee)

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Gale Adcock (D-Wake); Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Diane Wheatley (R-Cumberland)

Summary

This bill:

Includes nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists within the definition of “advanced practice registered nurse.”
Defines the population focus with respect to APRN practice as including one of the following areas of focus: (1) the family or individual across the life span; (2) adult/gerontology; (3) neonatal; (4) pediatrics; (5) women’s health or gender-related issues; (6) psychiatric mental health.
Defines the practice of nursing as an APRN to include the following: (1) conducting an advanced assessment; (2) delegating and assigning therapeutic measures to assistive personnel; (3) performing other acts that require education and training consistent with professional standards and commensurate with the APRN’s education, certification, demonstrated competencies, and experience; (4) complying with statutory requirements and rendering quality advanced nursing care; (5) recognizing limits of knowledge and experience; (6) planning for the management of situations beyond the APRN’s expertise.
Defines the practice of nursing as a certified nurse midwife to include the following: (1) the management, diagnosis, and treatment of primary sexual and reproductive health care, including primary, preconception, gynecologic/reproductive/sexual health, antepartum, intrapartum, neonatal, and post-pregnancy care; (2) ordering, performing, supervising, and interpreting diagnostic studies; (3) prescribing pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies; and (4) consulting with or referring to other providers as warranted by patient needs.
Defines the practice of nursing as a certified registered nurse anesthetist to include the following: (1) selecting, ordering, procuring, prescribing, and administering drugs and therapeutic devices to facilitate diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical procedures; (2) ordering, prescribing, performing, supervising, and interpreting diagnostic studies, procedures, and interventions; and (3) consulting with or referring to other health care providers as warranted by patient needs.
Defines the practice of nursing as a clinical nurse specialist as including the following: (1) the diagnosis and treatment of health and illness states; (2) disease management; (3) prescribing pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies; (3) ordering, performing, supervising, and interpreting diagnostic studies; (4) preventing of illness and risk behaviors; (5) nursing care for individuals, families, and communities; (6) integrating care to improve patient outcomes; and (7) consulting with or referring to other health care providers as warranted by the needs of the patient.
Defines the practice of nursing as a nurse practitioner to include the following: (1) health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and counseling; (2) providing health assessment and screening activities; (3) diagnosis, treating, and facilitating patients’ management of their acute and chronic illnesses and diseases; (4) ordering, performing, supervising, and interpreting diagnostic studies; (5) prescribing pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies; and (6) consulting with or referring to other health care providers as warranted by patient needs.
Removes the limitation against prescribing a medical treatment or making a medical diagnosis except under physician supervision from the definition of the practice of nursing by a registered nurse.
Makes various clarifying, organizational, and technical changes.
Amends statute to establish that the practice of nursing by an APRN does not constitute practicing medicine or surgery.
Amends statute to establish that a certified registered anesthetist administering anesthetic does not constitute practicing dentistry.

Movement

SB 249

Filed – 3/11/2021

Referred to the following Senate Committees on 3/15/2021:

-Rules and Operations

HB 277

Filed – 3/11/2021

Referred to the following House Committees on 3/15/2021:

-Health

-Insurance

-Rules, Calendar, and Operations

Referred to the following House Committees on 3/16/2021:

-Finance

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 290 – Make Certain Drug Offenses Infractions

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Kelly Alexander (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham); Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg)

Summary

This bill makes the possession of marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols an infraction rather than a Class 3 or Class 1 misdemeanor based on quantity.

This bill also makes the possession or marijuana drug paraphernalia an infraction rather than a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Movement

Filed – 3/15/2021

This bill was referred to the following House Committees:

-Rules, Calendar, and Operations

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 93 – Require Naloxone Scripts with Opioid Scripts

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly); Rep. Chris Humphrey (R-Lenoir, Pitt); Rep. Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson); Rep. Gale Adcock (D-Wake)

Summary

This bill requires practitioners to co-prescribe an opioid antagonist when one or more of the following conditions are present:

The prescription dosage is 50 or more morphine milligram equivalents of an opioid medication per day.
A Schedule II controlled substance is prescribed concurrently with a prescription for benzodiazepine.
The patient present with an increase risk for overdose, as evidence by, but not limited to (1) a patient with a history of overdose; (2) a patient with a history of substance use disorder, or (3) a patient at risk for returning to a high dosage of a Schedule II controlled substance to which the patient is no longer tolerant.

This bill also requires practitioners to provide education on overdose prevent and opioid antagonist use to all patients receiving prescriptions pursuant to the new requirements or to the patient’s parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis.

The failure to comply with the bill’s requirements would subject practitioners to potential administrative sanctions as deemed appropriate by their licensing board.

Movement

Filed – 2/16/2021

Referred to the following House Committees on 2/17/2021:

-Insurance

-Health

-Rules, Calendar, Operations

Re-referred to House Health Committee on 3/10/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 61 – Local Communicable Disease Programs/Funds

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Larry Potts (R-Davidson); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth)

Summary

This bill would appropriate $36M in recurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and $36M in recurring funds to the 22-2021 fiscal year to the Division of Public Health to be used to expand local health department infrastructure activities associated with the surveillance, detection, control, and prevention of communicable diseases.

Movement

Filed – 2/8/2021

Referred to the following House Committees:

-Appropriations

-Rules, Calendar, and Operations

Withdrawn from Committee on 3/11/2021 and re-referred to the following House Committees:

-Health

-Appropriations

-Rules, Calendar, and Operations

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 340 – Advisory Council on PANS & PANDAS

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. John Bradford, III (R-Mecklenburg); Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg)

Summary

This bill establishes the Advisory Council on Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) to advise the Governor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the General Assembly.

This bill also establishes Council membership requirements, reporting requirements, and duties.

Movement

Filed – 3/18/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 339 – PDN Workforce Stability/Medicaid

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg)

Summary

This bill requires DHHS to increase the rate paid for private duty nursing services pursuant to specified Medicaid Clinical Coverage Policies to $11.25 per 15 minutes.

This bill also appropriates $5,800,000 in recurring funds for each year of the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium to DHHS to implement the Medicaid rate increase.

Movement

Filed - 3/18/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 321 – Amend NC Controlled Substances Act

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Tome McInnis (R-Anson, Moore, Richmond, Scotland); Sen. Michael Lazzara (R-Jones, Onslow); Sen. Chuck Edwards (R-Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania)

Summary

This bill makes several modification to the Controlled Substances Act, including the following changes:

Defines “isomer” to mean the optical isomer unless otherwise specified.
Amends the definition of “narcotic drug” to specify the term includes cocaine and any isomer with optical or geometric.
Adds new substances to those classified as Schedule I,II,III, and IV controlled substances.
Makes possession of fentanyl or carfentanil or any salt, isomer, compound, or derivative thereof, or the chemical equivalent, a Class I felony.

Movement

Filed – 3/18/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 318/HB 180 – Designate Overdose Awareness Day

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Valerie Foushee (D-Chatham, Orange)

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Kristin Baker, MD (R-Cabarrus); Rep. Ted Davis, Jr. (R-New Hanover); Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly); Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake)

Summary

This bill would designate August 31^st of each year as Overdose Awareness Day in North Carolina.

Movement

SB 318

Filed 3/17/2021

HB 180

Filed – 2/25/2021

This bill was re-referred to the House Committee on State Government

This bill was referred to the following House committees:

-Health

State Government

-Rules, Calendar, and Operations

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 112/HB 334 – Temp Align PPP Treatment to Federal Treatment

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett, Johnston, Lee); Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain); Sen. Don Davis (D-Greene, Pitt)

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Ray Pickett (R-Ashe, Watauga); Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln)

Summary

This bill seeks to repeal statutory language which requires corporate and individual taxpayers to add the amount of any expense deducted under the Internal Revenue Code to the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income to the extent the payment results in forgiveness of a covered loan pursuant to the portion of the CARES Act governing the Payment Protection Program and the income associated with the forgiveness is excluded from gross income pursuant to the CARES Act.

Movement

HB 334

Filed – 3/17/2021

SB 112

Filed - 2/17/2021

This bill was referred to the following Senate committees:

-Rules and Operations

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 329 – Chiropractic Care Copayment Parity

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Mitchell Setzer (R-Catawba); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. Terence Everitt (D-Wake); Rep. Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson)

Summary

This bill prohibits insurers from offering a health benefit plan that imposes any limitation on treatment or levels of coverage if performed by a chiropractor unless a comparable limitation is also imposed on the medically necessary treatment if performed or authorized by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.

This bill also prohibits insurers from offering a health benefit plan that imposes a copayment amount charged to the insured for chiropractic services that is higher than the copayment amount for the services of a primary care physician, physician, assistant, or nurse practitioner for a comparable medically necessary treatment or condition.

Movement

Filed – 3/17/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 325 – Omnibus Coronavirus Relief Act

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln); Rep. Dean Arp (R-Union); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth)

Summary

This bill was filed as a placeholder for appropriations and law changes to provide additional relief from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Movement

Filed – 3/17/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 324 – Plan A for Charter Schools

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln); Rep. James Boles, Jr. (R-Moore); Rep. Larry Yarborough (R-Granville, Person); Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston)

-Appropriations

-Rules, Calendar, and Operations

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 280 – School Calendar Flexibility/Guilford County

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Michael Garrett (D-Guilford); Sen. Gladys Robinson (D-Guildford)

Summary

This bill allows local boards of education for Guilford County Schools to determine the dates of opening and closing for public schools.

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 263 – School Calendar Flex/Yadkin

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell, Yadkin)

Summary

This bill allows local boards of education for Yadkin County Schools to align a school’s calendar with the calendar of the community college serving the city or county in which the school is located.

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 261 – School Calendar Flex/Mooresville GSD

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell, Yadkin)

Summary

This bill allows local boards of education for the Mooresville Grades School District to align a school’s calendar with the calendar of the community college serving the city or county in which the school is located.

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 257 – Medication Cost Transparency Act

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir, Wayne); Sen. Danny Earl Britt, Jr. (R-Columbus, Robeson); Sen. Todd Johnson (R-Union)

Summary

This bill:

Expands the definition of pharmacy benefits manager to include new functions including negotiating rebates with manufactures, processing claims for prescription drugs or medical supplies, providing retail network management for pharmacies or pharmacists, and paying pharmacies or pharmacists for prescription drugs or medical supplies.
Prohibits any person or organization from operating as a pharmacy benefits manager for health benefit plans without obtaining a license from the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance.
Prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from prohibiting a pharmacist/pharmacy from charging a minimal shipping and handling fee to the insured for a mailed prescription if the pharmacist/pharmacy discloses the fee, the fee may not be reimbursed by the health benefit plan, insurer, or pharmacy benefits manager, and the charge is agreed to by the health benefit plan or pharmacy benefits manager.
Adds certain statutory protections for pharmacies and pharmacists.
Requires pharmacy benefits managers to ensure dispensing fees are not included in the calculation of maximum allowable cost price for a prescription drug.
Requires pharmacy benefits managers to establish an administrative appeals procedure for contracted pharmacies/pharmacists to appeal the provider’s reimbursement for a prescription drug subject to maximum allowable cost pricing if the amount of reimbursement for the drug is less than the net amount that the network provider paid to the supplier of the drug.
Establishes a series of requirements for pharmacy benefits manager networks.
Prohibits pharmacy benefits managers from transferring or sharing prescription information records containing patient-identifiable and prescriber-identifiable data to a pharmacy benefits manager affiliate in a way that is prohibited by HIPAA.

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 256 – Students, Parents, Community Rights Act

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson, Montgomery); Sen. Michael Lazzara (R-Jones, Onslow); Sen. Carl Ford (R-Rowan, Stanly)

Summary

This bill authorizes all public and nonpublic high schools in Davidson County, Davie County, Forsyth County, Johnston County, Jones County, Montgomery County, Nash County, Rowan County, and Stanly County to allow spectators to attend outdoor sporting events as long as the number of spectators does not exceed 50% of the outdoor facility’s capacity stated on the facility’s certificate of occupancy, or no more than 7 spectators for every 1,000 square feet if the facility does not have a certificate. Spectators who bring their own seats will not count toward the limit on the number of spectators if they maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and anyone outside of their family unit.

Schools must comply with the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit and the Interim Guidance for Administrators and Participants of Youth Amateur Sports Programs when allowing access for spectators.

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 289 – DIT/Broadband Mapping Funds

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Dean Arp (R-Union); Rep. Robert Reives, II (D-Chatham, Durham); Rep. Pat McElraft (R-Carteret, Jones); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth)

Summary

This bill requires the Department of Information Technology to prepare statewide broadband maps to identify the capabilities and needs related to broadband access and appropriates $1M to the Department for the 2020-2021 fiscal year to be used for broadband mapping,

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 280 – Mental Health Facility/Western NC/Funds

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Haywood, Jackson, Swain); Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood, Madison, Yancey)

Summary

This bill appropriates $50M to DHHS in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to provide funds for a new mental health care facility to be located in either Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, or Swain County

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

HB 275 – Funds/Elizabeth City Homeless Shelter

Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Howard Hunter, III (D-Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank); Rep. Edward Goodwin (R-Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Washington)

Summary

This bill appropriates $100,000 in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to Elizabeth City for expenses relating to purchasing land for and/or renovating a homeless shelter.

Movement

Filed – 3/11/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez

SB 232 – Students, Parents, Community Rights Act

Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey); Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Avery, Burke, Caldwell); Sen. Deanna Ballard (R-Alleghany, Ashe, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes)

Summary

This bill authorizes all public and nonpublic high schools in Alleghany County, Ashe County, Avery County, Burke County, Caldwell County, Madison County, McDowell County, Mitchell County, Polk County, Rutherford County, Watauga County, Wilkes County, and Yancey County to allow spectators to attend outdoor sporting events as long as the number of spectators does not exceed 50% of the outdoor facility’s capacity stated on the facility’s certificate of occupancy, or no more than 7 spectators for every 1,000 square feet if the facility does not have a certificate. Spectators who bring their own seats will not count toward the limit on the number of spectators if they maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and anyone outside of their family unit.

Schools must comply with the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit and the Interim Guidance for Administrators and Participants of Youth Amateur Sports Programs when allowing access for spectators.

Movement

Filed – 3/10/2021

by Ashley Rodriguez