HB 727 – Adult Care Homes/Licensure by Accreditation
HB 727 – Adult Care Homes/Licensure by Accreditation
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Michael Wray (D-Halifax, Northampton); Rep. Willian Brisson (R-Bladen, Sampson)
Summary
This bill
- Permits an adult care home that has been licensed by DHHS for at least 12 months to be considered as meeting statutory requirements for licensure if the facility obtains assisted living program accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care or another DHHS-approved nationally recognized accrediting body.
- States that adult care homes licensed by virtue of accreditation are not subject to routine inspections by DHHS or county departments of social services.
- States that adult care homes licensed by virtue of accreditation are exempt from the rules adopted by the NC Medical Care Commission.
- Requires accrediting bodies to receive approval from DHHS to issue adult care home licenses.
- Appropriates $1.5M in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to be allocated to the NC Senior Living Association and the NC Assisted Living Association to be used to jointly administer an adult care home accreditation grant program to provide grants to licensed adult care homes to cover the cost of obtaining and maintaining a three-year accreditation from one of the accrediting bodies approved by DHHS.
- Appropriates $350K in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to be allocated to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the Program on Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care within the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research to be used to (1) develop and provide to DHHS a recommended list of criteria for measuring resident outcomes in adult care homes that are consistent with the criteria for assisted living program accreditation, (2) to monitor and compare the quality outcome measures approved by DHHS in adult care homes that obtained three-year assisted living program accreditation under the above-referenced grant program and non-accredited adult care homes licensed in the State, and (3) to prepare required reports.
Movement
Filed – 4/28/2021
HB 726 – Restoration of ACH Licensure After Violations
HB 726 – Restoration of ACH Licensure After Violations
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Michael Wray (D-Halifax, Northampton)
Summary
This bill modifies the process for restoration of a full adult care home licensure following a license downgrade or a suspension of admissions due to prior license violations by requiring the adult care home to substantially comply with a correction plan prior to restoration.
Movement
Filed – 4/28/2021
HB 714 – Volunteer EMS Providers/Grant Program
HB 714 – Volunteer EMS Providers/Grant Program
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Linda Cooper-Suggs (D-Wilson); Rep. Ricky Hurtado (D-Alamance); Rep. James Roberson (D-Wake); Rep. Abe Jones (D-Wake)
Summary
This bill appropriates $500k in nonrecurring funds to the Division of Emergency Management to provide grants to governmental entities and certain other specified organizations that provide emergency management and assistance services in the State.
Movement
Filed – 4/28/2021
HB 708 – Club Nova Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center
HB 708 – Club Nova Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Verla Insko (D-Orange); Rep. Jon Hardister (R-Guilford); Rep. Mitchell Setzer (R-Catawba); Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Caswell, Orange)
Summary
This bill appropriates $400K to Club Nova Community, Inc. for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to complete the construction cost for a replacement facility for the Club Nova Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center.
Movement
Filed – 4/27/2021
HB 703 – Breast Cancer Diagnostic Imaging Parity
HB 703 – Breast Cancer Diagnostic Imaging Parity
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Mary Belk (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg)
Summary
This bill requires every health benefit plan offered in the State that provides benefits for a diagnostic examination for breast cancer to ensure that the cost-sharing requirements applicable to a diagnostic examination for breast cancer are no less favorable than the cost-sharing requirements applicable to a screening examination for breast cancer.
Movement
Filed – 4/27/2021
HB 694 – First Responders/Medical POAs Required
HB 694 – First Responders/Medical POAs Required
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jeffrey McNeely (R-Iredell); Rep. John Faircloth (R-Guildford); Rep. Charles Miller (R-Brunswick, New Hanover); Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Moore, Randolph)
Summary
This bill requires employing authorities of first responders to require each first responder in its employment to have a valid medical power of attorney to ensure that every first responder receives prompt and appropriate medical care under any circumstance when the first responder becomes incapacitated or is otherwise unable to give medical consent for treatment.
Movement
Filed – 4/27/2021
HB 688 – Fund Pitt Co. Behavioral Health Treatment Center
HB 688 – Fund Pitt Co. Behavioral Health Treatment Center
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Brian Farkas (D-Pitt); Rep. Chris Humphrey (R-Lenoir, Pitt); Rep. Kandie Smith (D-Pitt); Rep. John Bell, IV (R-Greene, Johnston, Wayne)
Summary
This bill appropriates $150K in nonrecurring funds for each year of the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium to the Administrative Office of the Courts to be provided as grants to Pitt County for the purpose of staffing and operating the Pitt County Behavioral Health Treatment Court.
Movement
Filed - 4/26/2021
HB 686 – No Gov’t Retribution for Refusal of CV19 Vax
HB 686 – No Gov’t Retribution for Refusal of CV19 Vax
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jake Johnson (R-Henderson, Polk, Transylvania); Rep. Howard Penny, Jr. (R-Harnett); Rep. Sam Watford (R-Davidson); Rep. Ben Moss, Jr. (R-Montgomery, Richmond, Stanly)
Summary
This bill:
- Adds retaliation by a State employer for an employee or applicant’s refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine as an issue that can be heard as a contested case pursuant to the NC Human Resources Act.
- States that State and local government employees and applicants have the right to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine without termination or retaliation.
- Establishes that individuals who refuse a COVID-19 vaccine have the same right to access and use State and local government buildings and land as an individual who receives a COVID-19 vaccine.
Movement
Filed - 4/26/2021
HB 683 – Prescription Drug Disposal/John’s Law
HB 683 – Prescription Drug Disposal/John’s Law
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly)
Summary
This bill requires pharmacies to do all of the following when dispensing a controlled substance to a patient:
- Provide the patient with written informational materials including (1) an explanation of how to discard unused, unwanted, or expired drugs and medications, and (2) an explanation of certain specified risks for failing to properly discard unused, unwanted, or expired drugs and medications.
- Make available on-site, for purchase or at no cost to the patient, at least one consumer method for individuals to dispose or unwanted or expired prescription drugs.
Movement
Filed - 4/26/2021
HB 682 – Funds for Vaccine Storage
HB 682 – Funds for Vaccine Storage
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly)
Summary
This bill appropriates $500k in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year from the funds received by the State under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to the Division of Public Health to be used as grants to pharmacies to purchase, repair, or upgrade refrigeration freezers as necessary to safely and effectively store COVID-19 vaccines.
Movement
Filed - 4/26/2021
HB 665/SB 610 – Address Direct Support Staffing Crisis/Medicaid
HB 665/SB 610 – Address Direct Support Staffing Crisis/Medicaid
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth)
Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett, Johnston, Lee); Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-Davie, Forsyth); Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir, Wayne)
Summary
This bill:
- Requires the Division of Health Benefits to adjust the PMPM capitation amount paid to LME/MCOs operating capitated contracts for mental health, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services to include amounts sufficient to increase wages paid to direct support personnel working in intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
- Appropriates $17.5M in recurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and $21.8M in recurring funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to be used to adjust the PMPM capitation amount paid to LME/MCOs.
- Recommends the Division consider cost-of-living adjustments and wage and hour cost-of-living adjustments for direct support personnel when setting the PMPM capitation amount paid to LME/MCOs for future capitation rate cycles.
Movement
HB 665
Filed 4/22/2021
SB 610
Filed – 4/6/2021
This bill was re-referred to the following Senate Committees:
-Appropriations/Base Budget
-Rules and Operations of the Senate
HB 660 – Repeal CON/Certain Facilities & Procedures
HB 660 – Repeal CON/Certain Facilities & Procedures
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort, Craven); Rep. Edward Goodwin (R-Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Washington); Rep. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico); Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly)
Summary
This bill exempts licensed ophthalmologists who provide ocular surgical procedures in one or more ocular surgical procedure rooms from obtaining certificates of need to license that setting as an ambulatory surgical facility with the existing number of ocular surgical procedure rooms if certain specified conditions are met, including that the application includes a commitment to and a plan for serving indigent and medically underserved populations.
This bill also amends current provisions exempting a person providing gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures in specified settings from requiring a certificate of need license by modifying the allowable accrediting entities.
This bill also exempts a new institutional health service for which an entity proposes to develop, acquire, construct, expand, or replace a health service facility or service that obtained a certificate of need approval prior to October 1, 2021 from certificate of need review for (1) a chemical dependency treatment center; (2) a kidney disease treatment center; and (3) a psychiatric facility.
Movement
Filed – 4/22/2021
HB 658/SB 463 – Deploy Child Welfare & Aging Component/NCFAST
HB 658/SB 463 – Deploy Child Welfare & Aging Component/NCFAST
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donny Lambeth
Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-Davie, Forsyth); Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett, Johnston, Lee); Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir, Wayne)
Summary
This bill requires DHHS to begin deployment of the NC FAST system as it relates to case management functionality for the child welfare system and aging and adult services’ programs and requires statewide deployment no later than July 1, 2022.
This bill also requires the Division of Social Services to augment and enhance the child welfare case management component of the NC FAST system before August 1, 2021.
This bill appropriates $17,262,882 in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to the Division of Social Services to accomplish the bill’s directives.
Movement
SB 463
Filed – 4/1/2021
This bill was re-referred to the following Senate Committees:
-Appropriations/Base Budget
-Rules and Operations of the Senate
HB 658
Filed – 4/22/2021
HB 655 – State Employees/Paid Parental Leave
HB 655 – State Employees/Paid Parental Leave
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Carolyn Logan (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Cooper-Suggs (D-Wilson); Rep. Zack Hawkins (D-Durham); Rep. Kandie Smith (D-Pitt)
Summary
This bill provides up to 8 weeks of fully paid parental leave for full-time state employees and up to 4 weeks fully paid parental leave for part-time state employees.
This bill also appropriates $10M in recurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and $10M in recurring funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to a Reserve for Compensation to fund the paid parental leave.
Movement
HB 655
Filed – 4/22/2021
HB 654 – Statewide Contracts/Nonprofits for the Blind
HB 654 – Statewide Contracts/Nonprofits for the Blind
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jon Hardister (R-Guilford); Rep. Robert Reives, II (D-Chatham, Durham); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. John Bradford, III (R-Mecklenburg)
Summary
This bill requires State departments, institutions, and agencies to purchase goods and services from nonprofit work centers for the blind and severely disabled where sources of supply have been approved, established by contract, and certified by the Secretary of Administration.
This bill also makes it unlawful for any State department, institution, or agency to purchase from other sources than those certified by the Secretary unless the requisition cannot be fulfilled because of insufficient availability of goods or services.
Movement
Filed – 4/22/2021
HB 653 – Mental Health & SUD Parity Report
HB 653 – Mental Health & SUD Parity Report
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. Kristin Baker, MD (R-Cabarrus); Rep. Gale Adcock (D-Wake)
Summary
This bill requires insurers offering health benefit plans in the State to submit an annual mental health and substance use disorder parity report to the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance and to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services.
This bill also specifies the information required to be included within the report including: (1) rates of utilization review for mental health and substance use disorder claims compared to medical and surgical claims; (2) the number of concurrent authorization requests for mental health and substance use disorder services and the number of denials for those requests, compared with the number of prior or concurrent authorization requests for medical and surgical services and the number of denials for those requests; (3) the rates of appeals of adverse determinations for mental health and substances use disorder claims compared with the rates of appeals of adverse determinations for medical and surgical claims; (4) the percentage of claims paid for out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder services compared with the percentage of claims paid for out-of-network medical and surgical services; (5) the percentage of claims paid for in-network mental health and substance use disorder services compared with the percentage of claims paid for in-network medical and surgical services; (6) a comparison of the cost-sharing requirements and the benefit limitations for mental health and substance use disorder services with the same cost-sharing requirements and benefit limitations for medical and surgical services; (7) the number of in-network providers that provide services for the treatment and diagnosis of substance use disorder and the number of in-network providers that provide services for the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders; and (8) any other data or information the Commissioner determines is necessary to measure compliance with mental health and substance use disorder parity laws.
Movement
Filed – 4/22/2021
HB 646 – Dental Care Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth)
Summary
This bill requires all health benefit plans offered in the State to provide coverage for medically necessary dental procedures that are the direct or indirect result of cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, biotherapy, or radiation therapy.
This bill also requires coverage of evaluations, examinations, laboratory assessments, medications, and treatments associated with the medically necessary dental procedures resulting from cancer treatment.
Movement
Filed – 4/22/2021
HB 643 – Reference Pricing for RX Drugs
HB 643 – Reference Pricing for RX Drugs
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Verla Insko (D-Orange); Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Ricky Hurtado (D-Alamance); Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford)
Summary
This bill:
- Establishes the steps that shall be taken to determine the referenced rate, defined as the maximum rate established by the Commissioner utilizing the Wholesale Acquisition Costs and other pricing data, for prescription drugs subject to the referenced rate.
- Prohibits any health benefit plan that is not an ERISA plan offered by an insurer in the State or any ERISA plan that elects for its purchase of prescription drugs to be subject to the above from purchasing referenced drugs to be dispensed or delivered to an insured in the State, whether directly or through a distributor, for a cost higher than the referenced rate.
- Requires the Commissioner to annually calculate the savings that are expected to be achieved by subjecting prescription drugs to the referenced rate.
- Requires any State entity, health benefit plan, or participating ERISA plan to utilize the savings derived from using the referenced rate to reduce costs to insureds and to annually submit a report to the Commissioner describing the savings.
- Provides a maximum fine of $1K for each violation of the above.
Movement
Filed – 4/21/2021
HB 642 – Down Syndrome Organ Trans. Nondiscrimination Act
HB 642 – Down Syndrome Organ Trans. Nondiscrimination Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. John Bradford, III (R-Mecklenburg); Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. Michael Wray (D-Halifax, Northampton); Rep. Pat McElraft (R-Carteret, Jones)
Summary
This bill:
- States that it is unlawful for a covered entity to do any of the following, solely on the basis of an individual’s disability:
-
- Consider an individual ineligible to receive an anatomical gift or organ transplant.
- Deny medical services or other services related to organ transplantation.
- Refuse to refer the individual to a transplant center or other related specialist for the purposes of being evaluated for or receiving an organ transplant.
- Refuse to place a qualified recipient on an organ transplant waiting list.
- Place a qualified recipient on an organ transplant waiting list at a lower priority position than the position at which the individual would have been placed if the individual did not have a disability.
- Refuse insurance coverage for any procedure associated with being evaluated for or receiving an anatomical gift or organ transplant.
- Requires covered entities to make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, or procedures to allow individuals with disabilities access to transplantation-related services unless the entity can demonstrate that making such modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the services.
- Permits an affected individual to commence a civil action against any covered entity that violates the above.
- Prohibits insurers offering health benefit plans that provide coverage for anatomical gifts, organ transplants, or related treatment and services from doing any of the following:
-
- Deny coverage to an insured solely on the basis of the individual’s disability.
- Deny to an individual eligibility, or continued eligibility, to enroll or to renew coverage under the terms of a plan solely for the purpose of avoiding the bill’s requirements.
- Attempt to induce a provider to provide care to an insured in a manner inconsistent with this section by doing either of the following: (1) penalizing or otherwise reducing or limiting the reimbursement of a provider, or (2) providing monetary or nonmonetary incentives to a provider.
- Reduce or limit health benefit plan coverage benefits to an insured for any services related to organ transplantation performed determined to be necessary in consultation with the attending physician and the insured.
Movement
Filed – 4/21/2021
HB 639 – Funds for Opioid Abuse Treatment Centers
HB 639 – Funds for Opioid Abuse Treatment Centers
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly)
Summary
This bill appropriates $400K in recurring funds and $9,180,066 in nonrecurring funds to the Division of Mental health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to be allocated to the following nonprofit corporations:
- $400K in recurring funds to Bridge to Recovery, Inc.
- $50K in nonrecurring funds to Safer Communities Ministry, Inc.
- $1M in nonrecurring funds to Gateway of Hope
- $5M in nonrecurring funds to Healing Transitions International, Inc.
- $1,130,066 in nonrecurring funds to Will’s Place, Inc.
- $2M in nonrecurring funds to Addiction Recovery Care Association, Inc.
This bill also requires each recipient to submit a detailed report on the expenditure of the funds to the Division.
Movement
Filed – 4/21/2021
HB 629 – Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner/STOP Act Clarification
HB 629 – Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner/STOP Act Clarification
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson); Rep. Larry Potts (R-Davidson); Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly); Rep. Gale Adcock (D-Wake)
Summary
This bill seeks to make clarifications regarding the conditions in which a PA or NP must consult with a supervising physician prior to prescribing a targeted controlled substance. This bill specifies that both must personally consult with their supervising physician prior to prescribing a targeted controlled substance when the patient is being treated by a facility that primarily engages in the treatment of pain by prescribing narcotic medications. (Modified statute previously stated “facility that primarily engages in the treatment of pain by prescribing narcotic medications or advertises in any medium for any type of pain management services."
Movement
Filed – 4/21/2021
HB 626 – Forensic Medical Examination Costs/Revisions
HB 626 – Forensic Medical Examination Costs/Revisions
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. William Richardson (D-Cumberland); Rep. Edward Goodwin (R-Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Washington)
Summary
This bill prohibits a medical facility or medical professional that performs a forensic medical examination from billing the victim, the victim’s personal insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or any other collateral sources for the examination and other eligible expenses.
This bill also requires the Department of Public Safety to assess a civil penalty in the amount of $25K for each violation of the prohibition.
Movement
Filed – 4/20/21
HB 624/SB 470 – North Carolina Regulatory Sandbox Act
HB 624/SB 470 – North Carolina Regulatory Sandbox Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln); Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe); Rep. Brandon Lofton (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. John Szoka (R-Cumberland)
Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Todd Johnson (R-Union); Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey)
Summary
This bill establishes the regulatory sandbox program, a program that permits a person or entity to temporarily test an innovative financial or insurance product or service and make it available to consumers on a limited basis without being subject to certain licensing or other regulatory obligations imposed under state law.
This bill also establishes the NC Innovation Council, an entity authorized to set standards, principles, guidelines, and policy priorities for the types of innovations that the regulatory sandbox program will support.
Movement
HB 624
Filed – 4/20/2021
SB 470
Filed – 4/1/2021
HB 615 – Juvenile Court Mental Health Assessments
HB 615 – Juvenile Court Mental Health Assessments
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Ted Davis, Jr. (R-New Hanover)
Summary
This bill requires a court to order a comprehensive clinical assessment or other appropriate mental health assessment in the case of a juvenile with a suspected mental illness or developmental disability that has been adjudicated delinquent.
If the court’s review of this assessment permits the court to find sufficient evidence that the juvenile has a severe emotional disturbance or a developmental disability that substantially contributed to the delinquent behavior, then this bill also requires the court to order a care review team to be convened by the local management entity/managed care organization and assigned to the case.
Movement
Filed – 4/20/21
HB 610 – Respiratory Care Modernization Act
HB 610 – Respiratory Care Modernization Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Gale Adcock (D-Wake); Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly); Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg); Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe)
Summary
This bill:
- Defines the practice of advanced practice respiratory therapy.
- Creates the NC Respiratory Care Board and establishes the Board’s membership, powers and duties.
- Permits the Board to waive certain statutory requirements during a declared state of emergency in order to permit the provision of drugs, devices, and professional services to the public.
- Sets out the requirements for licensure as an advanced respiratory care practitioner.
- Requires a subcommittee of the Respiratory Care Board to work with a subcommittee of the NC Medical Board to develop rules to govern the performance of medical acts by advanced respiratory care practitioners.
- Authorizes advanced respiratory care practitioners to practice advanced respiratory care under the supervision of a physician under certain specified conditions.
- Authorizes advanced respiratory care practitioners with prescriptive and dispensing authorization to order medications, tests, and treatments under certain specified conditions, including that the practitioner’s supervising physician has provided the practitioner written instructions for ordering, procuring, dispensing, changing, or substituting drugs.
Movement
Filed – 4/20/21
HB 608 – Dignity for Women Who are Incarcerated Act
HB 608 – Dignity for Women Who are Incarcerated Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Kristin Baker, MD (R-Cabarrus); Rep. Ashton Clemmons (D-Guilford); Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. Kyle Hall (R-Rockingham, Stokes, Surry)
Summary
This bill enacts the Dignity for Women Who are Incarcerated Act. This Act:
- Prohibits the use of restraints on pregnant incarcerated woman during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, during labor and delivery, and during the six-week postpartum recovery period except in certain specified instances.
- Prohibits invasive body cavity searches of an incarcerated woman who is pregnant or in the postpartum recovery period except in certain specified instances.
- Prohibits the use of restrictive housing for incarcerated women who are pregnant or are in the six-week postpartum recovery period except in certain specified instances.
- Requires the Department of Public Safety to ensure that sufficient menstrual products are available for all female incarcerated persons who have an active menstrual cycle.
Movement
Filed – 4/20/21
HB 604 – Require Safety Call/Child Care Facilities
HB 604 – Require Safety Call/Child Care Facilities
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Ted Davis, Jr. (R-New Hanover)
Summary
This bill, in an effort to reduce the number of child vehicular heat stroke deaths, requires DHHS to make child care facilities conduct a morning safety call to the parents/guardians of children under the age of 5 enrolled in the facility no more than 30 minutes after determining a child’s absence when the parent/guardian has not provided prior notice of the child’s absence to the facility.
Movement
Filed – 4/19/2021
HB 597/SB 564 – NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act
HB 597/SB 564 – NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Caswell, Orange); Rep. Ashton Clemmons (D-Guilford); Rep. Robert Reives, II (D-Chatham, Durham); Rep. Amos Quick, III (D-Guilford)
Primary Senate Sponsors: Sen. Sydney Batch (D-Wake); Sen. Deandrea Salvador (D-Mecklenburg); Sen. Sarah Crawford (D-Franklin, Wake)
Summary
This bill:
- Enacts the North Carolina Paid Family Leave Insurance Act.
- Requires the Division of Employment Security to establish and administer a family and medical leave insurance program.
- Deems family and medical leave insurance benefits payable to any covered individual (defined as any person who submits an application and meets the specified monetary eligibility criteria) who meets one of the following requirements: (1) is caring for a new child during the first year after birth, adoption, or child placement; (2) is caring for a family member with a serious health condition; (3) has a serious health condition; (4) is caring for a covered service member who is the covered individual’s next of kin or other family member; or (5) because of any “qualifying exigency leave” arising out of the fact that the family member of the covered individual is on active duty in the Armed Forces.
- Establishes maximum number of weeks during which family and medical leave insurance benefits are payable.
- Establishes the method used to determine benefit amounts.
- States that any covered individual who exercises his or her right to family and medical leave insurance benefits is entitled to be restored to the position held when the leave commenced upon expiration of the leave.
Movement
SB 564
Filed – 4/6/2021
This bill was referred to the following Senate Committees:
-Rules and Operations
HB 597
Filed – 4/19/2021
HB 596/SB 457 – Healthy Families & Workplaces/Paid Sick Days
HB 596/SB 457 – Healthy Families & Workplaces/Paid Sick Days
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Susan Fisher (D-Buncombe); Rep. Kandie Smith (D-Pitt); Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford); Rep. Terry Brown, Jr. (D-Mecklenburg)
Summary
This bill:
- Establishes the Healthy Families and Healthy Workplaces Act.
- Requires paid sick time be provided to an employee for any of the following reasons: (1) to care for the employee’s immediate family member under specified conditions; (2) to care for the employee’s own physical or mental illness, injury, or medical conditions under specified conditions; (3) the absence is necessary due to circumstances resulting from the employee, or a family member of the employee, being a victim of stalking or domestic or sexual violence under specified conditions.
- States that paid sick time must begin to accrue at the commencement of employment and must accrue at the rate of one hour of pay for every 30 hours worked.
- Permits an employer to require certification of the qualifying illness, injury, health condition, or violence when paid sick time covers more than 3 consecutive workdays.
- Provides notice requirements for employers.
- Authorizes the Commissioner to enforce and administer the provisions of the Act.
Movement
SB 457
Filed – 4/1/2021
This bill was referred to the following Senate Committees:
-Rules and Operations
HB 596
Filed – 4/19/2021
HB 595 – Hygiene Product Sales Tax Exemption
HB 595 – Hygiene Product Sales Tax Exemption
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Julie von Haefen (D-Wake); Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake); Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover); Rep. Mary Belk (D-Mecklenburg)
Summary
This bill exempts certain feminine hygiene products and grooming products from sales tax.
Movement
Filed – 4/19/2021
HB 593 – Forsyth Senior Services Facility Funds
HB 593 – Forsyth Senior Services Facility Funds
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth); Rep. Jeff Senger (R-Forsyth); Rep. Lee Zachary (R-Forsyth, Yadkin); Rep. Amber Baker (D-Forsyth)
Summary
This bill appropriates $3M for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and $2M for the 2022-2023 fiscal year in nonrecurring funds to Senior Services, Inc., to build a new and expanded Williams Adult Day Center that will meet the daily needs of older adults who are living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Movement
Filed – 4/19/2021
HB 587 – The Compassion, Healing, Access & Respect Act
HB 587 – The Compassion, Healing, Access & Respect Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Amos Quick, III (D-Guilford)
Summary
This bill requires licensed hospitals to allow individuals identified as an immediate family member of a deceased patient the opportunity to privately view the body of the deceased patient as soon as it is safe and practical to do so.
Movement
Filed – 4/15/2021
HB 585 – Fail to Report Crime/Privilege Exemption
HB 585 – Fail to Report Crime/Privilege Exemption
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Kristin Baker, MD (R-Cabarrus); Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Allegheny, Surry, Wilkes); Rep. Diane Wheatley (R-Cumberland); Rep. Jerry Carter (R-Rockingham)
Summary
This bill amends a statute establishing a duty to report for any adult who knows or should have reasonably known that a juvenile has been a victim of a violent offense, sexual offense, or misdemeanor child abuse by providing that the statute does not require a licensed marital and familial therapist to report if statutory privilege for communications between licensed marital and familial therapists and clients prevents the therapist from reporting.
Movement
Filed – 4/15/2021
HB 581 – Drivers License Designation/Autism
HB 581 – Drivers License Designation/Autism
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Howard Penny, Jr. (R-Harnett); Rep. Allison Dahle (D-Wake); Rep. Charles Miller (R-Brunswick, New Hanover)
Summary
This bill directs the Division of Motor Vehicles to develop, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety, the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, and the State Highway Patrol, a drivers license designation that may be granted to a person with autism spectrum disorder upon request.
This bill also states that a person shall be considered to have autism spectrum disorder if the person provides verification or documentation substantiating a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder as recommended by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services.
Movement
Filed – 4/15/2021
HB 580 – My Body, My Choice Medical Privacy Act
HB 580 – My Body, My Choice Medical Privacy Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort, Craven); Rep. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico); Rep. Edward Goodwin (R-Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Washington)
Summary
This bill:
- Makes it unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire a prospective employee, or discharge or otherwise discriminate against any employee with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on the basis of the prospective employee’s or employee’s refusal to (1) submit to a medical procedure, including a vaccination or series of vaccinations, or (2) provide proof of vaccination for, or immunity from, a specific disease.
- Gives employees who are discharged or otherwise discriminated against the ability to bring a civil action in district court against an employer who violates the above provisions.
- Makes it unlawful for a person to deny an individual entrance into a public space or private facility, building, or entertainment or sports venue that is generally open to the public on the basis of that individual’s refusal to (1) submit to a medical procedure, including a vaccination or series of vaccinations, or (2) provide proof of vaccination for, or immunity from, a specific disease.
- Gives an individual who is denied entrance into a public space, or a private facility, building, or entertainment/sports venue that is generally open to the public the ability to bring a civil action in district court against any person who violates the above provisions.
Movement
Filed – 4/15/2021