North Carolina Legislative Update

Oppose

SB 4

 No NC Exchange/No Medicaid Expansion - This bill clarifies the State's intent not ot run a state or partnership health benefits exchange and to reject the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid Expansion.

Signed by the Governor 3/6/2013.

Oppose

SB 132

 Mandates that NC Public Schools teach that abortions lead to future pre-term births despite the fact that this is unsupported by medical science and not recognized by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association or the Centers for Disease Control. 

Senate concurred 7/3/2013.  Presented to the Governor 7/10/2013.

Support

SB 421

HB 7

 Provides monetary compensation to victims of involuntary sterilization.

 Referred to Appropriations/Base Budget.

Oppose

SB 308

 Amends the "So-Called Women's Right to Know Act" and add additional barriers for women seeking access to safe and legal abortion care. 

 Referred to Senate Rules.  Amended into SB 695 then into SB 353.

Oppose

SB 675

 Requires written consent for minors seeking medical services for any of the following: substance abuse, mental illness, emotional disturbances, STD testing and treatment, prenancy testing.

Referred to Senate Health.  Dead for this session.

Oppose

HB 693

Requires written parental consent for minors seeking medical services for any of the following:  substance abuse, mental illness, STD testing & treatment, emotional disturbances and pregnancy.

Passed House Health, Re-referred to House Judiciary.  Dead for this session.

Oppose

HB 694

Imposes burdensome, administrative barriers to make it more difficult for schools to provide students with the medically-accurate health information they need to make lifelong healthy decisions.

Referred to House Education.  Dead for this session.

Oppose

HB 716

Interferes with the doctor/patient relationship by requiring doctors to become investigators and patients their suspects.

Passed House, sent to Senate.  Referred to Senate Rules. Amended into SB 695 then into SB 353.

Oppose

HB 730

Originally extended the current denial clause to allow employers who are morally opposed to birth control, to deny women contraceptive coverage under their employee benefits plan.  This was amended out.  Now the bill contains numerous bans on insurance coverage of abortion care including through the Exchange and for County and Municipal Employees.

Passed House.  Sent to Senate. Referred to Insurance.  Amended into SB 695 then into SB 353.

Oppose

  SB 402

  This is the Senate's version of the Budget.  This contains a provision to grant $250,000 to the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship.  A religious based ministry that provides funding and training to "so-called" crisis pregnancy centers. Orginally, the Senate's version kicked low income pregnant women off of Medicaid and eliminates the "Be Smart" Family Planning Program for low income men and women.  This part was taken out of the final version.

Passed.  Signed by the Governor.

Oppose

SB 353

This is an omnibus Senate bill that would strip city and county employees of abortion coverage in their health plans even in medical situations that jeopardize a woman's health or cases of severe fetal anomalies.   It denies  abortion coverage to women and their families who buy health insurance through North Carolina's health care exchange even when they use their own money to purchase their plan. It will turn doctors into investigators and women into suspects by forcing physicians to interrogate women about their motives for obtaining an abortion to determine whether their reasons are related to sex preference.   And, it could severely restrict access to safe and legal abortion by allowing an unelected gubernatorial appointee the power to impose burdensome, costly and medically unnecessary requirements on facilities and doctors who provide abortion.

Passed Senate and House.  Signed by the Governor on 8/29/13.