Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 332

Short Title: Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Galey, Burgin, and Sawrey (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 20, 2025
*S332-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROMOTE HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER TRANSPARENCY THROUGH 2
ADVERTISEMENT REQUIREMENTS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) Article 37 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by 5
adding a new Part 1 to be entitled "Health Care Practitioner Identification" and to consist of 6
G.S. 90-640. 7
SECTION 1.(b) Article 37 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by 8
adding a new Part to read: 9
"Part 2. Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act. 10
"§ 90-645. Short title. 11
This Part shall be known as the "Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act." 12
"§ 90-646. Definitions. 13
The following definitions apply in this Part: 14
(1) Advertisement. – Any communication or statement that is printed, electronic, 15
or oral which names the health care practitioner in relation to their practice, 16
profession, or institution where the health care practitioner is employed, 17
volunteers, or otherwise provides health care services, including business 18
cards, letterhead, patient brochures, email, internet, audio and video, or any 19
other communication or statement used in the course of business. 20
(2) Deceptive or misleading. – Any verbal or written represen tation or 21
advertisement that misstates, falsely describes, or holds out in a false light the 22
profession, skills, expertise, education, board certification, or licensure of the 23
health care professional. 24
(3) Health care practitioner. – An individual who is licensed, certified, or 25
registered to engage in the practice of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, 26
or any related occupation involving the direct provision of health care to 27
patients. 28
(4) Licensee. – A health care practitioner who holds an active lice nse with a 29
licensing board that governs the health care practitioner 's occupation in this 30
State. 31
"§ 90-647. Advertisement and representation requirements. 32
(a) An advertisement for health care services that names a health care practitioner shall 33
identify the type of license, certification, or registration held by the health care practitioner. The 34
advertisement shall not contain any deceptive or misleading information. 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 332-First Edition
(b) A health care practitioner shall not make a representation about the health care 1
practitioner's license, certification, or registration that is deceptive or misleading. 2
(c) Any individual not licensed to practice medicine under Article 1 of this Chapter shall 3
not hold himself or herself out to the public by calling oneself a physician or any of the following 4
titles, or using any similar title or description of services with the intent to represent that the 5
individual practices medicine: "surgeon," "medical doctor," "doctor of osteopathy, " "M.D.," 6
"D.O.," "anesthesiologist," "cardiologist," "dermatologist," "endocrinologist," 7
"gastroenterologist," "general practitioner, " "gynecologist," "hematologist," "hospitalist," 8
"internist," "intensivist," "laborist," "laryngologist," "nephrologist," "neurologist," 9
"obstetrician," "oncologist," "ophthalmologist," "orthopedic surgeon, " "orthopedist," 10
"osteopath," "otologist," "otolaryngologist," "otorhinolaryngologist," "pathologist," 11
"pediatrician," "primary care physician, " "proctologist," "psychiatrist," "radiologist," 12
"rheumatologist," "rhinologist," or "urologist." Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to 13
prevent a health care practitioner from using any title or abbreviation which is authorized for 14
such health care practitioner pursuant to licensing statutes. 15
"§ 90-648. Violations and enforcement. 16
(a) Any health care practitioner subject to this Article who does any of the following shall 17
be in violation of this Article: 18
(1) Knowingly aids, assists, procures, employs, or advises an unlicensed 19
individual or entity in practicing or engag ing in acts outside of the scope of 20
the health care practitioner's degree of licensure. 21
(2) Knowingly delegates or contracts the performance of health care services to a 22
health care practitioner that is unqualified to perform those health care 23
services. 24
(3) Fails to comply with any provision of this Article. 25
(b) Any health care practitioner who violates this Article as provided under subsection 26
(a) of this section shall be guilty of unprofessional conduct and may be subject to disciplinary 27
action under th e health care practitioner 's licensure board or other appropriate governing 28
provisions. 29
(c) Each day of noncompliance with this Article by a health care practitioner shall 30
constitute a separate and distinct violation. 31
(d) Any health care practitioner who practices in more than one office shall be required 32
to comply with this Article in each practice setting. 33
(e) Health care practitioners that work in non-patient settings and do not have any direct 34
patient health care interactions are not subject to this Article." 35
SECTION 2. The following boards shall adopt temporary rules to implement the 36
provisions of this act. Those temporary rules shall remain in effect until permanent rules are 37
adopted that replace those temporary rules: 38
(1) North Carolina Medical Board. 39
(2) North Carolina Board of Nursing. 40
(3) North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. 41
(4) North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners. 42
(5) North Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board. 43
(6) North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry. 44
(7) North Carolina State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. 45
(8) Board of Podiatry Examiners for the State of North Carolina. 46
(9) Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors. 47
(10) North Carolina Psychology Board. 48
(11) North Carolina Respiratory Care Board. 49
(12) Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists. 50
(13) North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 332-First Edition Page 3
(14) North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy. 1
(15) North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition. 2
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective October 1, 3
2025. 4