North Carolina SB 528: Health and Human Services Revisions.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 5
SENATE BILL 528
Health Care Committee Substitute Adopted 4/9/25
Third Edition Engrossed 4/15/25
House Committee Substitute Favorable 6/9/26
House Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 6/16/26

Short Title: Health and Human Services Revisions. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 26, 2025
*S528-v-5*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT REVISING AND MODERNIZING THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 2
STATUTES. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
5
PART II. JOEL H. CRISP SUDEP AWARENESS LAW 6
SECTION 2.(a) The University of North Carolina School of Medicine's Area Health 7
Education Centers (NC AHEC) shall consult with the North Carolina Medical Board, North 8
Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina Medical Society, North 9
Carolina Pediatric Society, North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, North Carolina Board 10
of Nursing, North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, and North Carolina Nurses Association to gather 11
evidence-based information on sudden unexpected death in epilepsy from publications and 12
nonprofit organizations to create standard information to provide to all health care practitioners 13
in this State. The information shall include, at a minimum, current and evidence-based 14
information about sudden unexpected death in epilepsy risk factors and conditions and contact 15
information for nonprofit organizations that provide support services for epilepsy conditions. The 16
information shall be made available on NC AHEC's website and readily accessible to health care 17
practitioners in this State. No later than September 1, 2026, NC AHEC shall report to the Joint 18
Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services a completed summary or 19
booklet of information provided to health care practitioners in the report. 20
SECTION 2.(b) This section is effective when it becomes law. 21
22
PART III. VETERANS AND ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM COMBINED 23
TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION TREATMENT PILOT PROGRAM 24
SECTION 3.(a) The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs shall select a 25
provider to establish a statewide pilot program to make eTMS available for veterans, first 26
responders, and immediate family members of veterans and first responders experiencing one or 27
more of the conditions listed in subsection (b) of this section. For purposes of this act, the 28
following definitions shall apply: 29
(1) Electroencephalogram combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 30
Treatment (eTMS). – Treatment in which transcranial magnetic stimulation 31
frequency pulses are tuned to the patient's physiology and biometric data. 32
(2) Immediate family. – A spouse, child, stepchild, parent, or stepparent. 33

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 528-Fifth Edition
(3) Veteran. – A person who (i) served in the Armed Forces of the United States 1
on active duty, for reasons other than training, and has been discharged under 2
other than dishonorable conditions, (ii) served in a reserve component as 3
defined in 38 U.S.C. § 101(27), and (iii) served in the National Guard of any 4
state. 5
SECTION 3.(b) The conditions that shall be the subject of the pilot program are the 6
following: 7
(1) Substance use disorders. 8
(2) Mental illness. 9
(3) Sleep disorders. 10
(4) Traumatic brain injuries. 11
(5) Sexual trauma. 12
(6) Posttraumatic stress disorder and accompanying comorbidities. 13
(7) Concussions. 14
(8) Other brain trauma. 15
(9) Quality of life issues affecting human performance, including issues related 16
to or resulting from problems with cognition and problems maintaining 17
attention, concentration, or focus. 18
SECTION 3.(c) The provider selected by the Department to conduct the pilot 19
program must display a history of serving veteran and first responder populations at a statewide 20
level. The provider shall establish a network for in-person and off-site care with the goal of 21
providing statewide access. Consideration shall be provided to locations with a large population 22
of first responders and veterans. In addition to traditional eTMS devices, the provider may utilize 23
nonmedical portable magnetic stimulation devices to improve access to underserved populations 24
in remote areas or to be used to serve as a pre-post treatment or a stand-alone device. The provider 25
shall be required to establish and operate a clinical practice and to evaluate outcomes of such 26
clinical practice. 27
SECTION 3.(d) At a minimum, the pilot program shall include all of the following: 28
(1) The establishment of a peer-to-peer support network by the provider made 29
available to all individuals receiving treatment under the program. 30
(2) The requirement that each individual who receives treatment under the 31
program also must receive neurophysiological monitoring, monitoring for 32
symptoms of substance use and other mental health disorders, and access to 33
counseling and wellness programming.