Session Week 2: What NCMS Members Need to Know

This report is for the week ending February 3, 2023

As the second week of the 2023 NC General Assembly Long Session comes to a close, things are heating up in Raleigh. The Senate Health Committee has begun considering multiple bills that may impact you and your practice.

Especially of note, the Parent’s Bill of Rights, SB 49, which would require written consent of a parent for a clinician to treat a child. It is one of the few bills making moves last week.  It moved quickly though the Education and Health Committees and next week will be considered by the Rules Committee.

Other Bills of Note that NCMS is monitoring:

SB 45, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Supervision: Would remove involved supervision requirement for Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors & Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professionals.

SB 46, Medical Billing Transparency: Would prevent surprise billing for out-of-network healthcare providers that are in-network with an individual’s health benefit plan.

SB 47, PA Team-Based Practice: Would change supervision of PAs by physicians and changes to the licensure of physician assistants, if the PA is working in a team-based environment.

SB 48, Repeal Certificate of Need Laws: Would repeal all of North Carolina’s Certificate of Need Laws.

SB 49, Parent’s Bill of Rights: Would give parents explicit rights to monitor/review documents on their children’s healthcare, education, religion.

HB 35, Expand Definition of Opioid Antagonist: Would expand the definition of opioid antagonist (naloxone) in North Carolina to include all opioid antagonists approved by the FDA for treatment of drug overdose.

HB 43, Prohibition of Certain Hormone/Surgery/Minors: Would make it illegal for minors to receive any puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and other related treatments or procedures.

Click here to view summaries on the bills listed above.