North Carolina SB 171: Pract. Transparency/Reagan's Law/Sam's Law.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 3
SENATE BILL 171
Health Care Committee Substitute Adopted 4/2/25
House Committee Substitute Favorable 6/10/25

Short Title: Pract. Transparency/Reagan's Law/Sam's Law. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
February 26, 2025
*S171-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROMOTE HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER TRANSPARENCY THROUGH 2
ADVERTISEMENT REQUIREMENTS; TO IMPROVE THE ACCESS OF NORTH 3
CAROLINIANS WITH LIMB LOSS AND LIMB DIFFERENCE TO PROSTHETIC AND 4
ORTHOTIC DEVICES AND CARE; AND TO REQUIRE MEDICAL CONDITION 5
ACTION PLANS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS AND MEDICAL EMERGENCY PLANS 6
IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL UNITS. 7
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
9
PART I. HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER TRANSPARENCY 10
SECTION 1.(a) Article 37 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by 11
adding a new Part 1 to be entitled "Health Care Practitioner Identification" and to consist of 12
G.S. 90-640. 13
SECTION 1.(b) Article 37 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by 14
adding a new Part to read: 15
"Part 2. Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act. 16
"§ 90-641. Short title. 17
This Part shall be known as the "Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act." 18
"§ 90-642. Definitions. 19
The following definitions apply in this Part: 20
(1) Advertisement. – Any communication or statement that is printed, electronic, 21
or oral which names the health care practitioner in relation to their practice, 22
profession, or institution where the health care practitioner is employed, 23
volunteers, or otherwise provides health care services, including business 24
cards, letterhead, patient brochures, email, internet, audio and video, or any 25
other communication or statement used in the course of business. 26
(2) Deceptive or misleading. – Any verbal or written representation or 27
advertisement that misstates, falsely describes, or holds out in a false light the 28
profession, skills, expertise, education, board certification, or licensure of the 29
health care professional. 30
(3) Health care practitioner. – An individual who is licensed, certified, or 31
registered to engage in the practice of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, 32
or any related occupation involving the direct provision of health care to 33
patients. 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 171-Third Edition
(4) Licensee. – A health care practitioner who holds an active license with a 1
licensing board that governs the health care practitioner's occupation in this 2
State. 3
"§ 90-643. Advertisement and representation requirements. 4
(a) An advertisement for health care services that names a health care practitioner shall 5
identify the type of license, certification, or registration held by the health care practitioner. The 6
advertisement shall not contain any deceptive or misleading information. 7
(b) A health care practitioner shall not make a representation about the health care 8
practitioner's license, certification, or registration that is deceptive or misleading. 9
(c) Any individual not licensed to practice medicine under Article 1 of this Chapter shall 10
not hold himself or herself out to the public by calling oneself a physician or any of the following 11
titles, or using any similar title or description of services with the intent to represent that the 12
individual practices medicine: "surgeon," "medical doctor," "doctor of osteopathy," "M.D.," 13
"D.O.," "anesthesiologist," "cardiologist," "dermatologist," "endocrinologist," "family 14
medicine," "family physicians," "gastroenterologist," "general practitioner," "gynecologist," 15
"hematologist," "hospitalist," "internist," "intensivist," "laborist," "laryngologist," 16
"nephrologist," "neurologist," "obstetrician," "oncologist," "ophthalmologist," "orthopedic 17
surgeon," "orthopedist," "osteopath," "otologist," "otolaryngologist," "otorhinolaryngologist," 18
"pathologist," "pediatrician," "primary care physician," "proctologist," "psychiatrist," 19
"radiologist," "rheumatologist," "rhinologist," or "urologist." Nothing in this subsection shall be 20
construed to prevent a health care practitioner from using any title or abbreviation which is 21
authorized for such health care practitioner pursuant to licensing statutes. 22
"§ 90-644. Violations and enforcement. 23
(a) Any health care practitioner subject to this Article who does any of the following shall 24
be in violation of this Article: 25
(1) Knowingly aids, assists, procures, employs, or advises an unlicensed 26
individual or entity in practicing or engaging in acts outside of the scope of 27
the health care practitioner's degree of licensure. 28
(2) Knowingly delegates or contracts the performance of health care services to a 29
health care practitioner that is unqualified to perform those health care 30
services. 31
(3) Fails to comply with any provision of this Article. 32
(b) Any health care practitioner who violates this Article as provided unde