Redirect Crisis Pregnancy Center Funds.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 247

Short Title: Redirect Crisis Pregnancy Center Funds. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Chitlik, Murdock, and Bradley (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 6, 2025
*S247-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT REDIRECTING FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 2
AND HUMAN SERVICES, DIVISION OF PUBLIC H EALTH, FOR CRISIS 3
PREGNANCY CENTERS TO INSTEAD BE USED TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF 4
EVIDENCE-BASED MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH PROGRAMS; REQUIRING 5
THE STATE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF CAROLINA PREGNANCY 6
CARE FELLOWSHIP; AND ESTABLISHING ADDITI ONAL REPORTING 7
REQUIREMENTS FOR CRI SIS PREGNANCY CENTER S THAT RECEIVE STATE 8
FUNDS. 9
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 10
11
PART I. REDIRECT CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER FUNDS TO EVIDENCE-BASED 12
MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH PROGRAMS 13
SECTION 1.(a) Section 9H.11 of S.L. 2023-134 is repealed. 14
SECTION 1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 15
Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of six million two hundred fifty 16
thousand dollars ($6,250,000) in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and the sum of six 17
million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($6,250,000) in recurring funds for the 2026 -2027 18
fiscal year to be used to support the expansion of evidence-based maternal and infant health 19
programs and services administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. 20
SECTION 1.(c) This Part becomes effective July 1, 2025. 21
22
PART II. REQUIRE THE STATE AUDITOR TO CO NDUCT AN AUDIT OF 23
CAROLINA PREGNANCY CARE FELLOWSHIP 24
SECTION 2. By March 1, 2026, the State Auditor shall conduct a financial statement 25
audit of Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, a nonprofit corporation. The State Auditor shall 26
report the results of the audit to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human 27
Services and the Fiscal Research Division. 28
29
PART III. ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL REPORTING REQU IREMENTS FOR CRISIS 30
PREGNANCY CENTERS THAT RECEIVE STATE FUNDS 31
SECTION 3.(a) Chapter 131E of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 32
section to read: 33
"§ 131E-269.5. Crisis pregnancy centers; reporting requirements. 34
(a) Definitions. – As used in this section, the following terms have the following 35
meanings: 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 247-First Edition
(1) Crisis pregnancy center. – Any nonprofit organization that holds itself out as 1
providing services to pregnant women through pregnancy, birth, and the 2
postpartum period, including a birthing center, clinic, c ommunity-based 3
organization, or faith -based organization that holds itself out as providing 4
pregnancy counseling services, pregnancy testing, and other nonmedical 5
pregnancy services. The term does not include a hospital, as defined in 6
G.S. 131E-76, or an ambulatory surgical facility, as defined in G.S. 131E-106. 7
(2) Fiscal year. – The annual operating year of the crisis pregnancy center. 8
(3) State financial assistance. – State funds disbursed to a crisis pregnancy center 9
as a grant, cooperative agreement, noncash contribution, or direct 10
appropriation to a crisis pregnancy center. 11
(4) State funds. – As defined in G.S. 143C-1-1(d)(25). 12
(b) Reporting Requirements. – In addition to the reporting requirements specified in 09 13
NCAC 03M .0205, each crisis pregnancy center that is a recipient or subrecipient of any amount 14
of State financial assistance shall submit a report to the Department of Health and Human 15
Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health an d Human Services, and the 16
Fiscal Research Division within 60 days after the end of the fiscal year in which the crisis 17
pregnancy center received State financial assistance. The report shall include all of the following 18
information with respect to the fiscal year in which the State financial assistance was received: 19
(1) The name of the center and each location where the center conducts business 20
or provides services. 21
(2) The total amount of State funds, federal funds, tax subsidies, or other 22
subsidies, if any, the center received , directly or indirectly, broken down by 23
location if the center conducts business or provides services at more than one 24
location. 25
(3) An explanation of whether the center is part of a larger umbrella organization 26
that operates within the State and, if so, the total amount of State and federal 27
funds or taxes or other subsidies, if any, the umbrella organization received , 28
directly or indirectly, broken down by location if the umbrella organization 29
conducts business or provides services at more than one location. 30
(4) An explanation of all services provided at the center and what services were 31
most frequently sought at the center, broken down by location if the center 32
conducts business or provides services at more than one location. 33
(5) The number of women who accessed services provided at the center during 34
the fiscal year, the geographic regions of the State where these women reside, 35
the distance from the center to the nearest licensed health care facility that 36
provides the same services offered at the center, the price of each service 37
offered at the center, and basic demographic information about each of the 38
women who accessed services provided at the center, including their race, age, 39
and marital status. Basic demographic information in cluded in any report 40
required by this subdivision shall be published in the aggregate without any 41
personal identifying information. 42
(6) An explanation of whether the center holds itself out to the public, either in 43
person, through community participation or events, or through advertising or 44
websites, as a medical facility, health care facility, or other entity that provides 45
comprehensive counseling about all pregnancy options. 46
(7) An explanation of whether women seeking or accessing services at the center 47
are also seeking comprehensive counseling services about pregnancy options 48
or pregnancy services at a licensed health care facility and, if so, whether these 49
women have experienced a delay in receiving health care, including abortion 50
or the initiation of prenatal care, due to a visit to a center. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 247-First Edition Page 3
(8) An explanation of whether the center enrolls women in any public benefits 1
programs or connects women to other services and, if so, identification of 2
which programs and services. 3
(9) The nature of information provided to clients or potential clients at the center 4
and an explanation of whether the center has operational manuals, handbooks, 5
or guidelines related to the provision of services to clients. 6
(10) The number of professional and volunteer staff who provide health care or 7
counseling services at the center who are licensed by the State of North 8
Carolina to provide such services, broken down by professional title and 9
location if the center has more than one location. In reporting this information, 10
the center shall specify the number of professional and volunteer staff who are 11
on-site at the center during regular business hours and whether the center 12
informs women whether the individuals on -site providing services are 13
licensed professionals or volunteers. 14
(11) A description of any health or other information the center collects from 15
women accessing the services of the center, how the center stores and uses 16
medical and other client records, and whether the medical records are in 17
compliance with federal and State law governing medical privacy." 18
SECTION 3.(b) G.S. 131E-269.5, as enacted by subsection (a) of this section, 19
applies to any crisis pregnancy center that receives State financial assistance on or after July 1, 20
2025. As used in this section, the terms "crisis pregnancy center" and "State financial assistance" 21
have the same meanings as in G.S. 131E-269.5, as enacted by subsection (a) of this section. 22
23
PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE 24
SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 25
law. 26