North Carolina SB 956: Omnibus Life Sciences Appropriations.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 956

Short Title: Omnibus Life Sciences Appropriations. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Sawrey and Chaudhuri (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S956-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FOR 2
VARIOUS PURPOSES; REVISING THE COMPOSITION AND DUTIES OF THE 3
ADVISORY COUNCIL ON RARE DISEASES; TRANSFERRING THE COUNCIL TO 4
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; APPROPRIATING 5
FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO COVER 6
THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE COUNCIL; ALLOWING CERTAIN WATER 7
AND SEWER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; AND CREATING THE LIFE 8
SCIENCE AND BIOMANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES RESERVE FUND. 9
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 10
11
PART I. ONE NORTH CAROLINA SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNT APPROPRIATION 12
SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 13
Commerce the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 14
2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated to the One North Carolina Small Business Account 15
established in G.S. 143B-437.71. 16
17
PART II. NORTH CAROLINA BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER APPROPRIATION 18
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 19
Commerce for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (the Center) the sum of two million 20
dollars ($2,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support life 21
science company funding, university technology development, workforce development, and 22
economic development programs administered by the Center. 23
24
PART III. ADVISORY COUNCIL ON RARE DISEASES 25
SECTION 3.1. Part 6 of Article 1B of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes reads 26
as rewritten: 27
"Part 6. Taylor's Law Establishing the Advisory Council on Rare Diseases. 28
"§ 130A-33.65. Advisory Council on Rare Diseases; membership; terms; compensation; 29
meetings; quorum. 30
(a) Short Title. – This Part shall be known as Taylor's Law Establishing the Advisory 31
Council on Rare Diseases. 32
(a1) Establishment of Advisory Council. – There is established the Advisory Council on 33
Rare Diseases within the School of Medicine of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 34
Department of Health and Human Services to advise the Governor, the Secretary, and the General 35
Assembly on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education relating to rare diseases. This Part 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 956-First Edition
shall be known as Taylor's Law Establishing the Advisory Council on Rare Diseases. For 1
purposes of this Part, "rare disease" has the same meaning as provided in 21 U.S.C. § 360bb. 2
(b) Advisory Council Membership. – The advisory council shall consist of 19 members 3
to be appointed as follows: 4
(1) Upon the recommendation of the Dean of the School of Medicine of the 5
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the The Secretary shall appoint 6
members to the advisory council as follows:the following 15 members: 7
a. A physician Two physicians licensed and practicing in this State with 8
experience researching, diagnosing, or treating rare diseases. 9
b. A medical researcher with experience conducting research concerning 10
rare diseases. 11
c. A One registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse licensed 12
and practicing in the State with experience treating rare diseases. 13
d. One rare diseases survivor. 14
e. One member who represents a rare diseases foundation. 15
f. One representative researcher from each an academic research 16
institution in this State that receives any grant funding for rare diseases 17
research. 18
g. One parent of a childhood rare disease survivor. 19
h. One hospital administrator, or the hospital administrator's designee, 20
representing a hospital in the State that provides care to persons 21
diagnosed with a rare disease. 22
i. Two persons age 18 or older who have been diagnosed with a rare 23
disease. 24
j. Two persons age 18 or older who are, or were previously, caregivers 25
to a person diagnosed with a rare disease. 26
k. One representative of a rare disease patient organization that operates 27
in the State. 28
l. One pharmacist licensed and practicing in this State with knowledge 29
and experience regarding drugs used to treat rare diseases. 30
m. One representative of the life sciences, biotechnology, or 31
biopharmaceutical industry that either focuses on research efforts 32
related to the development of therapeutic products for persons 33
diagnosed with a rare disease or has demonstratable understanding of 34
the path to commercialization of such products. 35
n. Two representatives of a health benefit plan or health insurer, at least 36
one of whom is a representative of a North Carolina Medicaid 37
Managed Care health plan. 38
o. One genetic counselor with experience providing services to per