North Carolina legislators are off to a busy start this legislative session. Several bills were introduced during their first full week of session, including several bills to increase the number of school social workers (more information on these bills below)!

NASW-NC would like to draw particular attention to two bills that were introduced and quickly moved through the committee process this past week.

North Carolina Senate leadership introduced HB 755 Parents Bill of Rights. The bill would do many things, but, among them include: 

• Prohibit teaching curriculum including gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten - 3rd grade. This can extend into the conversations students and educators have in the classroom, books and lesson plans, and the media.
• Prohibit a healthcare provider (including social workers!) from providing, soliciting, or arranging treatment for a minor child without first obtaining written consent from that minor child's parent and subjects a provider to disciplinary by licensure boards and a $5,000 fine for violating this law.
• Direct local school units to adopt procedures for notifying parents about a number of things, including notification prior to any changes to a name or pronoun used by a student.
• Encourage parents to request information from a school about their child’s curriculum, and require rapid response from school personnel (within 30 days) with cause for action from families if requests are not met.

Click here to read the bill and click here for a bill summary. 

Our position is clear: Limiting the ability for students to seek out and have safe spaces and support has the potential to cause direct mental and physical harm to LGBTQ+ individuals. Requiring school staff (including social workers) to potentially out students is unconscionable.  And limiting the ability of social workers (and other healthcare providers) to do their job and subjecting them to fines and disciplinary action for supporting students sets a dangerous precedent that may require a social worker to violate the Code of Ethics in order to follow this law. Click here to send a message to your Senator!

Additionally, Senate leadership also announced an omnibus health care bill. Senators have amended the telehealth bill that NASW-NC has been advocating for, HB 149, and it is now renamed Expanding Access to Healthcare. This 33-page bill does many things, including expanding Medicaid and providing for telehealth. Here's more on two provisions in the bill related to Medicaid Expansion and telehealth:

Medicaid Expansion: the bill provides for Medicaid expansion for adults aged 18-64 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level who comply with certain work requirements. The work requirements do allow exemptions, including individuals who have been certified as unfit for employment for physical or mental health reasons, individuals with a physical, intellectual, or developmental disability that significantly impairs the individual's ability to perform one or more activities of daily living, individuals actively participating in a substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation program; certain caregivers, and more.

Access to telehealth: Unfortunately, the original language on telehealth was drastically amended and the new language is not as clear as the original bill. The bill sets up telehealth policies in North Carolina by insurers as well as certain protections for consumers. For example, providers would need informed consent for telehealth services such as identifying the patient and the patient's medical history, disclosing the provider's identity and credentials, disclosing the delivery models and treatment methods to be used, disclosing the risks and limitations of telehealth, and more. Before providing telehealth services, providers must advise patients of the location, phone number, and regulator of the billing entity, if that information is different from that of the provider, disclose whether the provider is considered in-network or out-of-network, identify the service being provided and estimated cost of care, document informed consent, store all electronic information in accordance with all relevant privacy laws, create and save a recording of the telehealth encounter, and refrain from charging a fee for sharing medical records for telehealth services or engaging in balance billing.

NASW-NC has updated the original action alert regarding telehealth so messages can be sent to both the North Carolina House and North Carolina Senate. Click here to advocate for telehealth flexibilities.

Click here for more information on the bill and click here for a bill summary.

School Social Work Legislation
The following is a list of bills filed last week supporting school social workers. 

While these bills are not bipartisan, we will continue to advocate with all lawmakers to increase the number of school social workers. Click here to send a message to your legislators and let them know you support more funding for school social workers.

HB 1079 Sound Basic Education for Every Child: This is a comprehensive bill that addresses teachers, administrators, schools in high poverty areas, and more. Relevant to the social work profession, it provides funding for several years to increase the ratio of school social workers to achieve a ratio of 1:400 by 2028-2029. 

HB 1080 Professionalizing the Education Workforce: This legislation would move school social workers to the “M” salary to be paid for higher educational degrees.

HB 1092/SB 807 Student Mental Health Support Act: This bill directs the Department of Public Instruction to establish the School Mental Health Grant Program (Program). The program will increase student access to mental health support personnel in public school units. The program can utilize school social workers and social workers engaged in clinical social work practice. A report will be due in March 2023, and every year after, identifying which schools received funds, the services purchased with the funds, and recommendations for implementation of additional measures to improve student mental health. The bill provides $40 million for the grant program.

HB 1129/SB 860 Parent’s Bill of Rights: This legislation enforces parents' rights in their child’s education, including access to certain information, the ability to sit in class when appropriate, to assist when a student is diagnosed with a learning disability, and more.

SB 835/HB 1032: Sound Basic Education: This legislation is a plan to meet the requirements of the “Leandro Remedial Action Plan.” It outlines funding from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Instruction, and the UNC Board of Governors to fund the Leandro plan.

SB 866 Fund School Psychologists and School Social Workers: This legislation would increase funds for school social workers by increasing funding for school social workers incrementally until a ratio of 1:400 is achieved by 2028-2029.

Do you enjoy these updates? NASW-NC membership makes them possible!
 

NASW-NC works on behalf of the social work profession on a variety of issues. It is a member benefit provided by NASW-NC to have a registered lobbyist advancing and supporting the profession of social work in North Carolina. The North Carolina Chapter works with National NASW on Federal issues such as reimbursement rates, immigration, student loans, and more. Your membership dues help support our advocacy efforts every day on the state and federal levels. Thank YOU for being a member and being engaged in supporting the social work profession.
 

We need you. If you are a social worker and not a member of your professional association, we ask you to join to support the advocacy efforts on behalf of your profession. Click here to join today!