Legislative Session, Week 11
Last week, the Senate filed all of their bills for the legislative session. The House’s deadline for bill filing was this past Wednesday but will be extended until Saturday. After Saturday, no new bills will be filed so legislators will really begin to digest all of the bills filed. Many bills are on our legislative agenda and impact our profession. NASW-NC encourages you to contact your legislators about any legislation that you see below that might impact your clients. The social work voice is critical to policy development. You can find your legislators through the NASW-NC website by clicking here.
Relevant bills filed this week:
- HB 670 DSS Study/Extend Foster Care to Age 21. This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to study extending the provision of foster care to age 21. It was sent to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee.
- HB 674 Study Medicaid Provider Hearings. This bill directs the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee to study the contested case of the process of provider appeals under the Medicaid Program.
- HB 693 Eliminate Exceptions/Med Treatment/Minors. This bill was referred to House Health and Human Services Committee. This bill is similar to SB 675 except minors can petition the local district court for a waiver of the consent requirement for certain situations.
- HB 704 Study and Encourage Use of Telemedicine. This bill directs the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee to study the use of telemedicine in delivery of services. It was referred to House Health and Human Services Committee.
- HB 722 Capital Procedure/Severe Disability. This bill amends capital procedures as it pertains to persons with severe mental illness. It also provides that insanity not be available when drugs or alcohol are cause of psychosis.
- HB 725 Young Offenders Rehabilitation Act. This bill would establish a Juvenile Jurisdiction Advisory Committee, create a pilot for Civil Citation Process for Juveniles and would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction for 16 and 17 year olds accused of misdemeanors. This bill is on NASW-NC’s Legislative Agenda.
- House Joint Resolution 731 Study Vocational Training/Persons with IDD. This bill would direct the Legislative Research Commission to study issues related to vocational training of IDD individuals.
- HB 737 Protect and Support the Unemployed. This bill prohibits discrimination for persons who are unemployed.
- HB 767 Brass to Class Act. This bill directs the State Board of Education to increase the level of credit for prior work experience given to certain veterans for the purpose of placing them on state salary.
- HB 805 Ban Smoking in Foster Care Setting/Infants. This bill bans foster care settings from smoking around infants in care.
- HB 825 Minor Can’t Be Prosecuted for Prostitution. This bill would block minors who have been prostituted from being punished and instead place them in protective care.
- HB 831 Ed. Services for Children in PRTFS. This bill requires psychiatric residence treatment facilities to provide education for kids in their care.The State Board of Education would be directed to pay for education in these settings.
- HB 855 Human Trafficking. This bill makes several changes to state law regarding juveniles who have been trafficked.
- HB 862 Health Insurance Market Reforms. This bill makes changes to the state health insurance reform laws in response to the Affordable Care Act.
- HB 867 Medicaid County of Residence. This bill would be a fix to a huge issue under the Medicaid Waiver as it pertains to Medicaid County of Origin. It would allow for the transfer of individuals to county of residence.
- HB 881 Greater Financial Oversight of LME/MCOs. This bill would require LME/MCOs to get approval before engaging in projects over $100,000. It would also direct DHHS to consider financial reserves when deciding Per Member Per Month negotiations.
- HB 848 NC Toxic-Free Kids Act. This bill attempts to eliminate certain chemicals from children’s products. This bill is on NASW-NC’s Legislative Agenda.
- HB 909 Study/Increase Assisted Living in Rural Areas. This bill directs DHHS to study strategies for increasing the number of assisted living residences in rural ares of the state.
Bills with action:
- HB 392 Share Arrest Warrant Status/Pub. Assistance. This bill passed the House this week and will be sent to the Senate. The bill would require DSS to perform background checks on applicants and share that information with local law enforcement if anyone has an outstanding arrest warrant. It is a very costly bill and will mainly fall on local DSS’ to cover the impact.
- HB 217 Criminal Law/Procedure Amendments. This legislation does several things but the most harmful section would give prosecutors the ability to decide whether juveniles 13 years or older could be tried in adult court for B1 to Class D felonies, crimes ranging from rape to first-degree burglary. This bill is the opposite of Raise the Age! The bill will be heard next Wednesday in Judiciary B.
- HB 452 School Safety Act. This bill passed House committee on Education and will head to Appropriations. This bill does several things including more funding for school social workers. We are working with bill sponsors to clarify the role of school social workers in the bill.
- HB 510 Foster Care Children’s Bill of Rights. This bill passed committee and the House floor this week. It will now go to the Senate. This bill outlines 11 principles of children in foster care. It will be used by Health and Human Services as an outline for how children in foster care should be treated.
- SB 594 Require Drug Testing/Work First Benefits. This bill passed Senate Judiciary 2 and was sent to Senate Health Care. It requires applicants of Work First Benefits to pay for a drug test before applying. If an applicant passes the test, they would get reimbursed.
Other Advocacy Days:
– Child and Family Day is next Wednesday, April 17th; 10:00-12:00 at the General Assembly. Come join us as we convene on behalf of NC’s children. The day will include an issues briefing, rally and opportunity to visit legislators. Click here to register.
– Second Chance Lobby Day, April 23rd from 9-5 at the N.C. Legislative Building. Sponsored by the NC Second Chance Alliance
NASW-NC Social Work Blog 