Legislative Session, Week 1
NC Legislators rapidly started work this week introducing bills and holding committee meetings on several already controversial bills! From two posts this week on Group Home Funding and Medicaid Expansion, social workers have been making calls to legislators! Your emails are reaching legislators as many legislators told me this week they had heard from social workers in their districts. THANK YOU for making these calls! Your continued involvement this session means a lot to the profession and helps make the social work profession visible around the General Assembly. With that, here are the bills filed this week that are of interest to the profession:
Senate Bill 4/House Bill 16– No NC Exchange/No Medicaid Expansion
This bill is a response to the Affordable Care Act. It states that NC will not set up state run exchanges and will not expand Medicaid. It authorizes the General Assembly to make the decisions moving forward with the ACA. We are OPPOSED to this legislation. See our post here on the issue. This bill is scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor on Monday night. Please contact your Senators and let them know your opposition.
Senate Bill 6– UI Fund Solvency & Program Changes
This bill addresses unemployment insurance. It limits the number of weeks to receive unemployment benefits from 26 to 20 and caps how much unemployment can be given weekly. Find out more here. NASW-NC is OPPOSED to this legislation.
Senate Bill 20– Good Samaritan Law/Naloxone Access
This bill would allow someone to seek medical care after an overdose without criminal penalties. It also would allow an individual to seek medical care for someone else after an overdose without criminal penalties. NASW-NC is SUPPORTIVE of this legislation!
House Bill 5– Temporary Funding Extension for Group Homes
This bill extends funding for group homes that were affected by the definition change for Personal Care Services last year. The funding would extend operations for the group homes until the end of the fiscal year- in time for legislators to adjust the funding appropriately for the next fiscal year. NASW-NC is SUPPORTIVE of this legislation. This bill was passed on the House floor on Thursday and sent to the Senate. Please contact your Senators and let them know we are supportive of this! See our post about this legislation here.
Senate Bill 37– PED Study Occ. Lic. Bd. Agency
This bill directs the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee to look at making all occupational licensing boards one single agency. NASW-NC is OPPOSED to this legislation.
Other bills of interest:
House Bill 6– NC Right to Work/Secret Ballot Amendments
House Bill 7– Eugenics Compensation Program
House Bill 24– DV Abuser Treatment Program/Notifications
Senate Bill 33– Use of Criminal History Records by Lic. Boards
NASW-NC Social Work Blog 