North Carolina legislators will kick off the 2022 Legislative Session on Wednesday, May 18.
NASW-NC anticipates a quiet first week, with committee work and bill filing picking up the week after. Legislative sessions held during even numbered years (like 2022!) are traditionally short sessions and continue work from the previous legislative session (for example, passing legislation that might have passed the House but not the Senate). Due to this, we anticipate legislators will be in session for just a few months and wrap up in July. Learn more about what NASW-NC anticipates for this session in our previous update!
Legislators need to hear from social workers! Communicate with legislators before the legislative session starts and continue to advocate throughout the session.
NASW-NC has issued action alerts on three major areas important to social workers:
- Expand Medicaid: During the short session, legislators could address Medicaid Expansion. Contact your legislators and ask them to pass Medicaid Expansion.
- Telehealth: Last session, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed House Bill 149 Improving Access to Care Through Telehealth. Learn more about how this legislation would maintain current telehealth flexibilities and ask your North Carolina Senator to pass this important legislation so Governor Cooper can sign it into law. Take action here!
- School Social Work: NASW-NC has been advocating with the State Board of Education to prioritize hiring more school social workers and they listened! The State Board of Education voted to approve $15 million to hire more school social workers and consider masters pay as part of their legislative priorities. This is great news but now legislators need to include the $15 million as part of the final state budget in order for it to become law. Learn more and advocate here to ensure this funding is approved by legislators.
North Carolina Coalition on Aging Virtual Advocacy Day
Join the North Carolina Coalition on Aging, AARP-NC, Friends of Residents in Long Term Care, and NASW-NC for a Virtual Advocacy Day on Tuesday, May 24 from 12:00- 1:00.
This important annual event brings together aging advocates around specific issues to give a collective voice to policy impacting older adults. Join us to increase the visibility of aging issues with your elected officials. Training will be provided on Medicaid Expansion, Personal Needs Allowance Increases, Stabilizing the Direct Care Workforce, and creating a statewide comprehensive plan for older adults.
Governor Cooper releases state budget
Governor Cooper released his state budget priorities ahead of the legislative session. In his proposal, Governor Cooper included several priorities important to social workers. This includes state employee and teacher pay raises (which includes school social workers), cost of living increases for retirees, Medicaid Expansion accomplished by September 1, 2022, funding for affordable housing, funding for crisis services, adult protective services, and more. Click here for this in depth WRAL article on his budget proposal and click here to access his proposal directly.
Specific to social work, Cooper has proposed $70,200,000 in funding for Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP), including school social workers, to support student mental and physical health. He has also proposed forgivable loans for prospective Student Support Scholars. This would invest $5 million to provide forgivable loans to up to 100 counselor, psychologist, or social worker trainees who commit to working in these roles in a North Carolina public school.
