2023 NASW-NC Legislative Session Update: Week 17

NASW supports unrestricted access to Abortion/Reproductive Health 

2023 NASW-NC Legislative Session Update: Week 17

The Republicans in both the NC House and Senate have passed SB 20: Care for Women, Children, and Families Act; a ban on abortion after only 12 weeks of pregnancy. With the final bill crossover for the 2023 Legislative Session being Thursday, May 4th, the bill was introduced at 10PM on Tuesday, May 2nd. The forty-six page bill was rushed through both chambers of the General Assembly and voted into law in less than (48) hours. The bill is now on Governor Cooper's desk, who has publicly stated he will unequivocally veto it. 

This bill is a monster abortion ban for several reasons including:

• Prohibiting abortion after the 12th week of pregnancy
• Prohibit the use of medication abortion after 10 weeks of pregnancy
• Mandated 3 separate visits to a provider, with a 72-hour waiting period in between the first and second in-person visits
• If the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, an abortion is prohibited after 20 weeks of pregnancy

URGENT ACTION ALERT: From ProChoice NC:

Please contact Governor Roy Cooper to thank him for speaking out against the monster abortion ban, Senate Bill 20, and to ask him to veto this dangerous bill that was rushed through the NC General Assembly with no notice and little public input.  

Email here: https://governor.nc.gov/contact/contact-governor-cooper

Call: (919) 814-2000 

Sample Script for emails and calls: 

“My name is ___________, and I live in CITY. I am calling today to thank Governor Cooper for speaking out against the monster abortion ban, Senate Bill 20, and to ask him to veto this dangerous bill that was rushed through the legislature with no notice and little public input.

Abortion care is part of reproductive health care and maternal care, and it should be treated as such. Politicians have no business inserting themselves into healthcare decisions. The restrictions on this bill will fall hardest on those who already have the least access to healthcare. We have seen chaos erupt in other states where bans have been enacted, and we don’t want that to happen here. I oppose this new monster abortion ban and I strongly urge Governor Cooper to veto it!” 

North Carolina Repro Recap Virtual Zoom Call: Thursday, May 11th from 6-7:30pm
Join supporters across NC virtually as we give you a Repro Recap! Find out why this legislative session is so important for abortion rights and reproductive freedom in NC, how to talk about abortion with your friends and family, and what taking action in this work looks like. There will also be a Q&A portion where we'll take your questions, so come curious!

Register Here! 

Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact Update

Great News: NASW-NC learned this week that because there is a fee for social workers who participate in the Compact, SB 718 was not subjected to the final bill crossover deadline of May 4th. This means we still have the rest of the 2023 Legislative Session to get the bill passed in both chambers and signed into law by Governor Cooper. We are optimistic the bill will pass. Since only Republican-sponsored bills have moved this session, we are pitching the Compact as primarily a bill to support military spouses. The Social Work Compact creation was initiated by the Department of Defense to promote licensure portability for military spouses. You can read about that here: Interstate Licensure Compact for Social Work (socialworkers.org)  A large number of Republican lawmakers, who have the supermajority in both the House and Senate, are very supportive of bills that support military populations and NASW-NC is working on getting support to advance the bill before session ends. Please be on the lookout for action alerts to contact your legislators to support the Social Work Licensure Compact. 

More information about the Social Work Licensure Compact can be found here: https://swcompact.org 

NC Republicans pass House Bill 808: a ban on gender-affirming surgery for trans youth. NASW-NC OPPOSES.

House Bill 808- Surgical Gender Trans./Minors, a bill restricting the access of trans youth to gender-affirming care, was heard in and passed the House Healthcare committee this week. HB 808, which originally banned all gender-affirming care, was substituted with a ban on gender transition surgeries for minors earlier this week. However, legislators added an amendment Wednesday banning state funding for any “gender transition procedures,” a provision that could cut off funding for hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and more. In advancing the bill, the legislature has disregarded the advice of medical and mental health care providers, as well as intense public opposition. On Tuesday, the House health committee denied the many people who showed up to oppose the bill the opportunity to speak, ignoring cries of protest as the bill was pushed forward.  Healthcare decisions for trans youth should be left to families and medical care providers. (From: Equality NC Denounces Bans on Abortion and Gender-Affirming Care as Government Overreach)

(From Equality NC)     

House Bill 346: Reorganization & Economic Development Act (also known as Blue Cross NC bill). NASW-NC OPPOSES.
The NC Justice Center has issued a petition against HB 346.  Even if Blue Cross NC is not your insurer, you should be concerned about the dangerous precedent House Bill 346 sets for enabling corporate entities to influence legislation in our state. If Blue Cross NC gets its way and the bill passes, the company could potentially:

• Increase premiums for policyholders.
• Eliminate rebates that policyholders have earned from paying premiums.
• Change what doctors policyholders can currently see.
• Create a parent company and purchase subsidiaries that are exempt from Department of Insurance oversight.

Take Action Here: Stop Blue Cross NC from Using Policyholder Money to Fund Corporate Interests (everyaction.com)

The North Carolina General Assembly will hold skeletal (non-voting) sessions this week - May 8-12. Committee meetings may be held. Check the legislative calendar for updates.  Voting sessions will resume the week of May 15.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month 
This year, NAMI is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with the More Than Enough campaign! It’s an opportunity for all of us to come together and remember the inherent value we each hold — no matter our diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background or ability. We want every person out there to know that if all you did was wake up today, that’s more than enough. No matter what, you are inherently worthy of more than enough life, love and healing. Showing up, just as you are, for yourself and the people around you is more than enough.  #MoreThanEnough  

Some fast facts about mental illness in the U.S.:
• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, and less than half of them receive treatment.
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth experience a mental health condition each year, and only half of them receive treatment. 
• The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years. 
• 160 million people live in mental health professional shortage areas, including many in North Carolina.
• 65% of Americans are concerned about the stigma around mental illness. 
• Only half of Americans (52%) say they are familiar with the mental health care system. 

Source:  NAMI-NC

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States! 
Read more here: https://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/

May is Older Americans Month 
May is Older Americans Month and this year's theme is Aging Unbound.  The NC Division of Aging and Adult Services is hosting a celebration of diverse aging experiences on Tuesday, May 9th, from 1-3PM at the NC State Farmer's Market in Raleigh, NC.  Learn more about this free event here: Older Americans Month - Aging Unbound (May 2023) (ncdhhs.gov)

NC Caregiving Policy Summit: Changing the Care Conversation
This 2-day virtual summit is co-hosted by The NC Serious Illness Coalition, NC Coalition on Aging, and the Children’s Complex Care Coalition of NC.  Anyone with an interest in caregiving issues is invited to attend this free event, including: Caregivers and Care Recipients, Policy Makers, Government Agencies, Non-profit organizations, Health Care systems, and Grant funders.

This virtual event will be held May 10 & 11, from 12pm-1:30pm. Join by registering here.                                   

Bills of Interest: 

Kelly Spangler Study Act HB 623 - would allow the use of Social Worker title for state employees. Kelly Spangler was a dedicated social worker and rock star social justice advocate. HB 623 passed its first reading and has been referred to the House Health Committee. You can read more about Kelly's life & legacy HERE. NASW-NC is a stakeholder of this study bill.  NASW-NC SUPPORTS. The bill did not make crossover.   

Improved Data on Involuntary Communities HB 677. A similar bill was filed two years ago - HB 787 Improved Data on Involuntary Commitments: This bipartisan bill establishes involuntary commitment data collection and reporting requirements for area facilities and hospitals where first examinations for involuntary commitments are performed and for LME/MCOs. NASW-NC supports this legislation and worked in Coalition to get this legislation filed. The bill did not make crossover.   

• HB 707: Assaults on First Responders & Social Workers: An act to increase the punishment for committing an assault or making a threat against individuals employed or acting on behalf of a county department of social services. Passed the House on 5/3/2023 and referred to Senate Rules. NASW-NC Supports 
• HB 762 (SB 524): School Social Workers/Restore Master's Pay: There is a version of the bill in both chambers to restore master's level pay for school social workers, which has been excluded from the state budget since 2013. NASW-NC Supports. The bill did not make crossover but restoring Masters pay is in the House budget.
• HB 189 - Freedom to Carry NC. A bill to authorize the concealed carry of a handgun by people at least 18 years old (instead of current age of 21 years old). The bill did not make crossover.   
• HB 647: Expedite Child Permanacy: This bill would amend various abuse, neglect and dependency laws to ensure youth who are removed from their home are placed in a safe, permanent home with one year of the date of the initial order of removing custody. Passed the House on 5/3/2023 and referred to Senate Rules.
• HB 815: Loving Homes Act: This bill would set the maximum number of children in foster homes to five, unless keeping a group of siblings from being separated and contingent upon the foster parent's ability to care for the children. Passed the House on 5/3/2023 and referred to Senate Rules.

Thank you to the members of NASW-NC for supporting the advocacy work we do. We would not be able to advocate for the social work profession or social justice issues in North Carolina without a robust and engaged NASW membership. If you are a social worker and not a member, we ask that you join NASW today. Our voice is louder with your membership.

Learn more about NASW-NC membership here.

Want this information sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for weekly NASW-NC legislative updates: https://votervoice.net/NASWNC/home