Hospital Authority Commissioner Reforms.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 961

Short Title: Hospital Authority Commissioner Reforms. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Burgin (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S961-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE REFOR MS TO HOSPITAL AUTHO RITY BOARDS OF 2
COMMISSIONERS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 131E-18 reads as rewritten: 5
"§ 131E-18. Commissioners. 6
(a) The mayor or the chairman of the county board shall appoint the commissioners of 7
the authority. There shall be not less than six eight and not more than 30 38 commissioners. Upon 8
a finding that it is in the public interest, or that it is required to meet the requirements of this 9
section, the commissioners may adopt a resolution increasing or decreasing the number of 10
commissioners by a fixed number; Provided that however no decrease in the number of 11
commissioners shall shorten a commissioner's term. A certified copy of the resolution and a list 12
of nominees shall be submitted to the mayor or the chairman of the county board of 13
commissioners for appointments in accordance with the procedures set forth in subsection (d) of 14
this section. The commissioners of the authority shall include at least the following: 15
(1) Four members of the public who are not healthcare providers licensed under 16
Chapter 90 of the General Statutes , married to healthcare provider s licensed 17
under Chapter 90 of the General Statutes , employed by the authority, or 18
married to anyone employed by the authority. 19
(2) Four elected officials who are either of the following: 20
a. Commissioners of a county that is , in whole or in part, within the 21
hospital authority's territorial boundaries as defined in G.S. 131E-20. 22
b. Elected officials in a city or town that is within the hospital authority's 23
territorial boundaries as defined in G.S. 131E-20. 24
… 25
(i) Any meeting of the commissioners of a hospital authority shall be c onducted in 26
accordance with Article 33C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes." 27
SECTION 1.(b) A hospital authority that already has the member of the public or 28
elected official commissioners required by G.S. 131E-18(a)(1) and (a)(2), as amended by Section 29
1(a) of this act, shall not be required to appoint additional commissioners. 30
SECTION 1.(c) To ensure term staggering, the first two members of the public and 31
elected officials required to be appointed by G.S. 131E-18, as amended by Section 1(a) of this 32
act, shall serve an initial term of one year. The third and fourth members of the public and elected 33
officials required to be appointed by G.S. 131E-18, as amended by Section 1(a) of this act, shall 34
serve an initial term of two years. All subsequent terms shall be for three years. All members 35
required to be appointed by this act shall be appointed no later than December 1, 2026. 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 961-First Edition
SECTION 1.(d) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 1
Health and Human Services the sum of fifty t housand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds 2
for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to ensure hospital authorities are in compliance with the provisions 3
of this act. 4
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 5