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H681 • 2025

Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog. Rules.

Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog. Rules.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Crawford, Reeder, Chesser, Ager, Cervania, Dahle, Hawkins, F. Jackson
Last action
2025-05-07
Official status
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog. Rules.

H681-SMDC-22(CSDC-12)-v-5 (2025-04-29): Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog.

What This Bill Does

  • H681-SMDC-22(CSDC-12)-v-5 (2025-04-29): Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog.
  • Rules.
  • H681-SMTQ-41(e2)-v-4 (2025-05-01): Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog.
  • Rules.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 681: Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 681: Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog.
  • Rules.
  • Committee: House Health.
  • If favorable, re -refer to Regulatory Reform.
Filed

Plain English: 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 681: Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog.

  • 2025-2026 General Assembly HOUSE BILL 681: Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog.
  • Rules.
  • Committee: House Regulatory Reform.
  • If favorable, re - refer to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Date: May 1, 2025 Introduced by: Reps.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-07 Senate

    Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  2. 2025-05-07 Senate

    Passed 1st Reading

  3. 2025-05-07 Senate

    Special Message Received From House

  4. 2025-05-07 House

    Special Message Sent To Senate

  5. 2025-05-07 House

    Ordered Engrossed

  6. 2025-05-07 House

    Passed 3rd Reading

  7. 2025-05-07 House

    Passed 2nd Reading

  8. 2025-05-07 House

    Amend Adopted A1

  9. 2025-05-05 House

    Placed On Cal For 05/07/2025

  10. 2025-05-05 House

    Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)

  11. 2025-05-05 House

    Reptd Fav

  12. 2025-05-01 House

    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  13. 2025-05-01 House

    Reptd Fav

  14. 2025-04-29 House

    Re-ref Com On Regulatory Reform

  15. 2025-04-29 House

    Reptd Fav Com Substitute

  16. 2025-04-03 House

    Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Regulatory Reform, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  17. 2025-04-03 House

    Passed 1st Reading

  18. 2025-04-01 House

    Filed

Official Summary Text

H681-SMDC-22(CSDC-12)-v-5
(2025-04-29): Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog. Rules.
H681-SMTQ-41(e2)-v-4
(2025-05-01): Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog. Rules.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 681
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25
Third Edition Engrossed 5/7/25

Short Title: Update Opioid Abatement Treatment Prog. Rules. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 3, 2025
*H681-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT DIRECTING THE COMMISSION FOR MENTAL HEALTH, DEVELOPMENTAL 2
DISABILITIES, AND SU BSTANCE USE SERVICES TO AMEND THE RULES 3
REGARDING OUTPATIENT OPIOID TREATMENT PR OGRAMS FOR GREATER 4
CONSISTENCY WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1.(a) The Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, 7
and Substance Use Services (Commission) shall amend the rules applicable to outpatient opioid 8
treatment programs (OTPs) in 10A NCAC 27G .3600 through 10A NCAC 27G .3605, to be more 9
consistent with 42 C.F.R. Part 8 governing medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder. 10
In amending these rules, the Commission shall make at least all of the following changes: 11
(1) Remove stability of a patient's home environment and social relationships as 12
an eligibility criterion for take-home medication. 13
(2) Require the State Opioid Treatment Authority (SOTA) to review patient 14
discharge policies related to continued substance use, missed doses, and 15
nonparticipation in ancillary services such as counseling. 16
(3) Remove structured counseling schedules to better align with federal 17
regulations that promote individualized care that is more patient-centered and 18
flexible. 19
(4) Reduce the number of required drug tests to align with the frequency required 20
by federal regulations. 21
(5) Explicitly permit OTPs to administer methadone to patients who are not 22
enrolled with the OTPs as their patients but can be verified as a patient in 23
another OTP through contacting the patient's home OTP, checking the central 24
registry, or other means established by the Commission. 25
SECTION 1.(b) In determining whether to include any additional changes to the 26
rules applicable to OTPs to achieve greater consistency with 42 C.F.R. Part 8, t he Commission 27
shall engage with current and former OTP clients and OTP providers for input on other changes 28
that would serve the goal of improving access to patient -centered care and achieving better 29
alignment with federal regulations. However, the Commission shall not amend the rules to 30
include any input that is inconsistent with State or federal law. 31
SECTION 1.(c) The Commission shall publish the proposed text of the amended 32
rules applicable to OTPs by January 1, 2026. 33
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 34