NASW-NC Legislative Update: Child Marriage Bill Amended and Bills of Interest

North Carolina legislators are moving closer to the Crossover deadline of May 13th when one bill has to “crossover” to the House or the Senate to be considered for the rest of the legislative session. The House bill filing deadline passed and now legislators are working to get bills out of committee to meet the Crossover deadline. We will see many bills get through in the next few days and NASW-NC and our Legislative Committee are keeping watch of bills and responding to legislators as needed. 

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee discussed a bill we originally supported, Senate Bill 35 which amends child marriage laws in North Carolina. Our state is one of two that allows fourteen year olds to get married; this is the youngest age in the country along with Alaska. During the meeting, legislators offered an amendment and watered down the original proposal of 18 years of age. The new bill, provides a maximum of four years age difference for minors to get married. This means a 14 year old can marry an 18 year old or a 16 year old could marry a 20 year old. We are disappointed that legislators removed provisions in the bill that would remove the state’s pregnancy exemption and emancipation of marriage. The bill now goes before the Senate Rules Committee before going to the Senate floor. NASW-NC will continue to work on this bill as it moves through the Senate and into the House. 

Bills Filed of Interest to Social Workers: 

HB 608 Dignity for Women Who are Incarcerated: This bipartisan legislation aims to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant inmates such as prohibiting shackling while in labor. It also requires necessary postpartum care and access to feminine products. NASW-NC supports this legislation. 

HB 621 Increase Dropout Age/Completion Indicator: This bipartisan legislation aims to raise the age in which students are ‘eligible’ to dropout. Raising the dropout age to 18 would be implemented incrementally over the next five years. The bill also rewrites procedures for compulsory school attendance and juvenile engagement procedures as the age is raised.

HB 653 Mental Health and SUD Parity Report: This bipartisan legislation would require insurance plans to submit an annual report on to the Department of Insurance and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services beginning in March of 2022. This report would require information on rates, prior authorization, claims paid, number of providers, and more. NASW-NC supports this legislation. 

HB 731  Adult Day Care Consistency Funding/Sources: This legislation allows boards of county commissioners to determine the rates for adult day care and adult day health care services funded by the Home and Community Care Block Grant and the State Adult Day Care Fund. The bill would eliminate the capped reimbursement rates ($33.07 a day for adult day care and $40 a day for adult day health care) and allow unit rates to be determined at the county level.  

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