North Carolina HB 463: Amend Antique Firearm Definition.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 463

Short Title: First Responders Mental Health Plan Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Clampitt and Reeder (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 20, 2025
*H463-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE POLICY FOR FIRST 2
RESPONDERS DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. Chapter 58 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article 5
to read: 6
"Article 86B. 7
"First Responders Mental Healthcare Plan Act. 8
"§ 58-86B-1. Short title. 9
This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "First Responders Mental Healthcare 10
Plan Act." 11
"§ 58-86B-2. First responder mental health care benefits plan. 12
A first responder mental health care benefits plan is established and shall be administered by 13
the Department of Insurance. The plan shall be a supplemental insurance policy that provides 14
benefits required under this Article to eligible first responders with a diagnosis of a mental 15
condition outlined in this Article. The program aims to promote healing and the return to service 16
of first responders. 17
"§ 58-86B-3. Definitions. 18
The following definitions apply in this Article: 19
(1) 911 dispatcher. – A public safety telecommunicator or dispatcher at a primary 20
public safety answering point (PSAP) as defined in G.S. 143B-1400 or at any 21
public safety agency to which 911 calls are transferred from a primary PSAP 22
as defined in G.S. 143B-1400 for dispatch of appropriate public safety 23
agencies. 24
(2) Eligible mental condition. – Stress, mental injury, or mental illness that is 25
medically diagnosed as an anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, depressive 26
disorder, obsessive-compulsive and related disorder, sleep-wake disorder, or 27
trauma and stressor-related disorder as described in the most recent edition of 28
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the 29
American Psychiatric Association. 30
(3) Emergency medical technicians and emergency medical dispatchers. – As 31
defined in G.S. 131E-155 and includes the Director of EMS. 32
(4) Firefighter. – As defined in G.S. 58-84-5 and includes fire dispatchers, fire 33
inspectors, and fire marshals. 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 463-First Edition
(5) First responder. – A law enforcement officer, firefighter, 911 dispatcher, 1
emergency medical technician employed by a State or local government, 2
detention officer employed by a local government, correctional or probation 3
officer employed by the State, or a volunteer firefighter meeting the 4
requirements of G.S. 58-84.5. Included in this definition are first responders 5
employed by nongovernmental entities. 6
(6) Law enforcement officer. – As defined in G.S. 115B-1 and includes police 7
dispatchers, police investigators, sheriff's deputies, bailiffs, corrections 8
officers, detention officers, and jailers. 9
"§ 58-86B-4. Eligibility. 10
To be eligible to receive benefits, first responders shall meet all of the following: 11
(1) Be currently employed as a first responder, regardless of the date of original 12
diagnosis. 13
(2) Be diagnosed by a healthcare provider, who establishes with a reasonable 14
degree of medical certainty that the condition is the result of a singular 15
incident or accumulative effect of employment-related activities. 16
(3) Have a diagnosed condition that resulted from the first responder acting within 17
the scope of his or her employment as a first responder. 18
A first responder is not eligible to receive benefits under this Article if receiving benefits 19
related to a mental condition under the North Carolina Workers' Compensation Act. 20
"§ 58-86B-5. Benefits under mental health care plan. 21
The following benefits are available under the mental health care plan: 22
(1) Medical costs reimbursement. – Eligible first responders shall receive 23
reimbursement of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per 12-month period 24
for any out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred, including deductibles, 25
copayments, or coinsurance costs, for an eligible mental condition. Receipts 26
of out-of-pocket expenses must be produced to receive this benefit. This 27
benefit may not be used in conjunction with the disability benefit under this 28
section. 29
(2) Salary benefit. – If a first responder's treatment plan requires leave from 30
employment as determined by a healthcare provider, either through Family 31
Medical Leave (FMLA) or a local government program, and sufficient proof 32
is provided to the insurance carrier, the Department, or other applicable payor 33
that this leave is necessary, a full-time first responder shall receive a monthly 34
benefit that is either (i) e