2025 NASW-NC Legislative Session Update: Social Work Licensure Compact Passes Senate Rules Committee

In this week's update:

• Social Work Compact passes Senate Rules Committee
• NASW Action Alert 
• NC Legislature to Cut Funding for Healthy Opportunities 
• Protecting Medicaid from Cuts in Congress: Updates for Aging Advocates 
• Take action against anti-immigrant bills 
• June is Pride Month 
• NASW-NC Bill Tracker   
   

Social Work Compact passes Senate Rules Committee

On Thursday, June 5th, HB 231 -Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact unanimously passed the NC Senate Rules Committee. On Tuesday, June 3rd, it unanimously passed the Senate Finance Committee.  NASW-NC staff were present both days at the NC General Assembly.   

See HB 231 come up in the Senate Finance Committee here!

See HB 231 come up in the Senate Rules Committee here!

HB 231 will now have its final full vote on the NC Senate Floor.  If it passes the Senate, as it did the NC House, it will go to Governor Stein’s desk for his signature. 

The Social Work Licensure Compact has been enacted in at least seven states and has reached activation status; however, multistate licenses are NOT yet being issued.  The implementation process for the compact will take 12 to 24 months before multistate licenses are to be issued. You can learn more details about the Social Work Licensure Compact and the Compact Commission by going to its website here. 

NASW-NC is the ONLY organization lobbying and advocating for the entire Social Work Profession at the North Carolina Legislature. The NASW-NC lobbying team would not exist without the incredible support of NASW-NC membership. If you are already a member of NASW-NC, THANK YOU. Our members are the only reason that we have been able to do this work! 

NASW-NC is not federally funded; we are not state-funded. We are funded by the members of NASW and will not exist to advocate for you and the social work profession without YOU!  We are able to do more if we have a large voice and robust membership. If you are not yet a member, please join NASW and join us in our advocacy efforts.      

Follow updates on the Social Work Compact in the NC General Assembly here. 

NASW Action Alert

The House of Representatives passed a massive bill that decimates programs that support and provide lifelines for American families and their ability to meet their basic needs, access the means of economic mobility, and participate in society. They are trading the health and well-being of a majority of families to support a wealthy few.

The House-passed budget reconciliation bill creates devastating cuts to health care and food assistance programs, which will have dire impacts on individuals, families, and communities. 

Congress is using a legislative strategy called “reconciliation” to accomplish their goals. This procedure expedites the process for legislation focused on spending, revenue, and debt limit laws. Part of why this path is chosen is because it rushes budget-focused bills through with a simple majority in the Senate. While this is not the first time reconciliation has been used to pass legislation, these cuts stand to harm far too many Americans. 

In a time when families are struggling to put food on the table, grappling with health care costs, dealing with the high costs of college and dwindling options for student loan repayment, and other financial hardships in an ever-evolving economy, Congress is working overtime to ram their bill through an expedited process that will irreparably harm this country. 

American families deserve better. Please join NASW in our fight to protect crucial programs from dangerous cuts. Contact your Senators today and tell them to vote against any version of the Budget Reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Student Loan Repayment Programs, and diminishes access to life-saving tax credits like the Child Tax Credit. A personalized message goes a long way with members of Congress, so please add information to our editable email template. 

ACT NOW

NC Legislature to Cut Funding for Healthy Opportunities 
 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said that budget negotiations in the state Legislature do not include funding for the Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) program’s ongoing operations or statewide scaling. The program addresses people’s social needs with services like food, housing, and transportation through Medicaid.

The notice on the  NCDHHS website said the “absence of available funding means that there is no funding scheduled for distribution to health plans for HOP service delivery beginning July 1, 2025. While new services are expected to stop beginning July 1, our hope is that this will only be a pause, and Healthy Opportunities can resume once additional funds are appropriated by the General Assembly.”

The Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) is the nation’s first comprehensive program to test and evaluate the impact of providing select evidence-based, non-medical interventions related to housing, food, transportation and interpersonal safety and toxic stress to high-needs Medicaid enrollees. The federal government has authorized up to $650 million in Medicaid funding for the Pilots over five years.

More than 288,000 services have been delivered and more than 20,000 NC Medicaid beneficiaries have enrolled across 33 predominantly rural counties in North Carolina as part of the Healthy Opportunities Pilots since the program began providing services two years ago. 

Those findings also show participants avoided a significant number of emergency department visits, and research shows participants have a reduced risk of food insecurity, housing instability and lack of access to transportation. Further, the findings showed that the longer a person was enrolled in the pilots the greater reduction of risk.

In an interview with NC Health News,Jay Ludlam, deputy secretary for NC Medicaid, said program participants expressed “disappointment” with the decision. “I think they’re disappointed, in part, because they understand and see every day the impact that this program is having on the people that they serve,” he said. “They know what we’ve built together, and what we risk losing if we’re unable to find funding.”

Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Winston Salem) said in a text to NC Health News that the budget was too tight this year to continue funding the pilot program. He also said lawmakers haven’t seen enough “valid justification” to show the benefits outweigh the $175 million cost of the program for the next two years.

(Source)
 

Protecting Medicaid from Cuts in Congress: Updates for Aging Advocates 

With the House’s vote last month to pass a budget reconciliation bill, the fight to protect Medicaid has moved to the Senate. If enacted, H.R. 1 — the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — would be devastating for the health and well-being of low-income older adults. The legislation would make the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, while undermining Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and other programs older adults rely on to meet their basic needs. 

This webinar, Protecting Medicaid from Cuts in Congress: Updates for Aging Advocates, will outline where the budget reconciliation bill stands and how the cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and other health care programs would harm older adults. Participants will learn about the latest insights on effective advocacy strategies, data, and resources that advocates can use in their own states and communities. 

For more background, see Justice in Aging’s resources on Medicaid Defense. 

Who Should Participate: Advocates for older adults and other Medicaid and aging stakeholders. 

Presenters: 

• Natalie Kean, Director of Federal Health Advocacy, Justice in Aging
• Gelila Selassie, Senior Attorney, Justice in Aging
• Amber Christ, Managing Director of Health Advocacy, Justice in Aging

When: Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PT/2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET 

REGISTER NOW
 

Take action against anti-immigrant bills 

Two harmful anti-immigrant bills are moving through the North Carolina General Assembly this week, and we need your help. Here is what you need to know and how you can take action:

• SB153 - Anti-Immigrant "Border Protection" Act: S153 would require the Department of Public Safety, Department of Adult Correction, State Highway Patrol, and State Bureau of Investigation to enter into a 287(g) agreement with ICE, increasing collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE. It would also force state agencies to take additional and unnecessary steps to verify that undocumented immigrants are not benefitting from public services beyond what is required under federal law, likely slowing down the provision of services to all beneficiaries. 

• HB318 - Force Increased Cooperation with ICE: HB318 expands upon the provisions in HB10, passed in 2024, that force sheriffs to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. HB318 would expand the list of crimes that trigger citizenship verification to include nonviolent crimes, delay the start time for the required 48-hour ICE detainer hold, and require jail administrators to notify ICE in advance of releasing someone who was held on a detainer.   

These bills are clear attacks on immigrant communities in North Carolina. We all want to live in safe communities, but scapegoating immigrants, who research shows are less likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens, is not the answer. Help stop these bills by contacting your representatives. 
 

(ACLU of NC)
 

June is Pride Month 

June is Pride Month - a month set aside to celebrate self-acceptance, equality, and love, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community. In a time when diverse voices, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+, are being silenced, we recognize the inherent beauty, dignity, and perspective of those voices. We stand behind their rights to find mental healthcare resources especially tuned to their needs. 

There is power in community. 

If you’re having a hard time celebrating this month, you don’t have to struggle alone. One of the key contributors to positive mental health recovery is the support of others. There are resources and support groups designed specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, where you can feel free to be yourself, admit times of vulnerability, and build a community among others on the same journey. 

LGBT Center of Raleigh holds in-person and virtual mental health support groups in partnership with NAMI NC and NAMI Wake County. Click here to find more information.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources:

Centerlink Member Organizations - Along with the LGBT Center of Raleigh, North Carolina has 11 other LGBTQ-focused centers across the state. Find the one nearest you.  

The Trevor Project offers crisis services and peer support for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24. Call (866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678) or visit their website. 

LGBT National Help Center - Offers several talklines for LGBTQ people depending on need:

• National Hotline - 888-843-4564
• National Coming Out Support Hotline - 888-688-5428
• National Youth Talkline - 800-246-7743
• National Senior Hotline - 888-234-7243
   

As always, you can contact the NAMI NC Helpline for guidance, referrals, or just someone to talk to. Our team is ready and willing to help.

Phone: 800-451-9682

Text: 919-999-6527

Email: helpline@naminc.org

(NAMI-NC)
 

NASW-NC Bill Tracker

NASW-NC has created a page to keep members up to date with legislative developments regarding the Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact, restoring master’s level pay for school social workers, and other bills related to the social work profession.

NASW-NC is currently keeping an eye on more than 100 bills that, if passed, may impact the social work profession and the populations we serve. You can view all of the bills NASW-NC is tracking at the NC General Assembly HERE. 

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. 

Learn more about NASW-NC membership here.

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