North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 11 D · 5 R · 1 I cosponsors

HB 197 — Local Communicable Disease Programs/Funds.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 18 sponsors

    1 primary, 17 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 3 parties (11 D · 5 R · 1 I) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

15 added · 14 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of House Bill 197, some details regarding funding and staffing for public health were clarified and updated. The bill now specifies $25 million in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year dedicated to addressing shortages in public health staff, especially in roles like communicable disease nurses. This change is significant because it highlights the state's commitment to strengthening its public health workforce to better respond to future health threats. Overall, the updates aim to enhance public health preparedness and improve staff retention and hiring.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 197 Short Title:
197 Feb 25, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH40094-MGa-60 Short Title:
Representative White.
Representatives White and Potts (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH, TO CONTINUE THE STATE'S PROGRESS IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASE RESPONSE.
Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House February 26, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH, TO CONTINUE THE STATE'S PROGRESS IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASE RESPONSE.
and Whereas, LHDs in North Carolina remain understaffed, with an estimated 70% shortageofpublichealth staffat thelocal level, including communicablediseasenurses andother professionals, who are vital to the State's communicable disease response;
and Whereas, LHDs in North Carolina remain understaffed, with an estimated 70% shortageofpublichealth staffat thelocal level, includingcommunicablediseasenurses andother professionals, who are vital to the State's communicable disease response;
SECTION 1.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000)in recurring fundsforthe2025-2026fiscal yearandthesum oftwenty-fivemillion dollars ($25,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated to local health departments, as provided in subsection (b) of this section, to do all of the following:
SECTION 1.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000)in recurringfunds forthe2025-2026fiscal yearand the sum oftwenty-fivemillion dollars ($25,000,000) in recurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be allocated to local health departments, as provided in subsection (b) of this section, to do all of the following:
(1) TobetterpreparetheStateforemerging andre-emergingpublichealththreats.
(1) TobetterpreparetheStateforemergingandre-emergingpublichealththreats.
(2) To retain staff, hire additional disease staff, including public health nurses and other public health professionals, and to expand public health programs and services, which are vital not only to maintaining North Carolina's communicable disease response but also to ensuring that the essential public health services described in G.S.
(2) To retain staff, hire additional disease staff, includingpublic health nurses and other public health professionals, and to expand public health programs and services, which are vital not only to maintaining North Carolina's communicable disease response but also to ensuring that the essential public health services described in G.S.
*DRH40094-MGa-60* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Distribute the remaining twelve million five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000) to local health departments based upon the percentage of the State population served by each of the local health departments.
*H197-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) Distribute the remaining twelve million five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000) to local health departments based upon the percentage of the State population served by each of the local health departments.
(3) Begin distributing the funds allocated under this section no later than (i) 60 days after the date the Office of State Budget and Management and the Office of the State Controller establish the certified budget for the Department of HealthandHumanServicesforthe2025-2026fiscalyearand (ii)60days after the date the Office of State Budget and Management and the Office of the State Controller establish the certified budget for the Department of Health and Human Services for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
(3) Begin distributing the funds allocated under this section no later than (i) 60 days after the date the Office of State Budget and Management and the Office of the State Controller establish the certified budget for the Department of HealthandHumanServicesforthe2025-2026fiscal yearand(ii)60days after the date the Office of State Budget and Management and the Office of the State Controller establish the certified budget for the Department of Health and Human Services for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Page 2 DRH40094-MGa-60
Page 2 House Bill 197-First Edition
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref to the Com on Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 17 co-sponsors · 161 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (17)

Not signed on (161)

161 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 161 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety healthcare
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 197?
HB 197 is sponsored by Bill Ward (Republican), Reeder, Amos L. Quick, III (Democratic), Renée A. Price (Democratic), Howard Penny, Jr. (Republican), Ben T. Moss, Jr. (Republican), Nasif Majeed (U), Jordan Lopez (Democratic), Ya Liu (Democratic), Pricey Harrison (Democratic), Julia Greenfield (Democratic), Allison A. Dahle (Democratic), Maria Cervania (Democratic), Becky Carney (Democratic), Mary Belk (Democratic), Amber M. Baker (Democratic), Larry W. Potts (Republican), and Donna McDowell White (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 197?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 197?
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