Joel H. Crisp Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Law.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Eric Ager and 37 co-sponsors

NC AHEC will compile and widely distribute evidence-based SUDEP information to NC healthcare practitioners and report on it by Sept 1, 2025.

Regular Message Sent To Senate

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HB 160 — "Joel H. Crisp Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) Awareness Law" (North Carolina)

Summary
- Purpose: Directs the University of North Carolina School of Medicine’s Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC) to compile, standardize, and disseminate evidence‑based information about Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) to health care practitioners across North Carolina, and to report on that work to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services.
- Sponsor: Representative Gillespie.
- Status (as provided): Filed/Introduced Feb 21, 2025; referred to Higher Education. The Act takes effect when it becomes law. NC AHEC must submit the required report by September 1, 2025.

Key provisions
- Tasking: NC AHEC shall gather and synthesize evidence‑based SUDEP information for distribution to all health care practitioners in the State.
- Required consultations: NC AHEC must consult with the following entities while preparing materials:
- North Carolina Medical Board
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
- North Carolina Medical Society
- North Carolina Pediatric Society
- North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians
- North Carolina Board of Nursing
- North Carolina Board of Pharmacy
- North Carolina Nurses Association
- Content requirements: Materials must include, at minimum:
- Current, evidence‑based information about SUDEP risk factors and conditions
- Contact information for nonprofit organizations that provide support services for persons with epilepsy and their families
- Dissemination: The information shall be made available on NC AHEC’s website and be readily accessible to health care practitioners statewide.
- Reporting: No later than September 1, 2025, NC AHEC must submit to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services a completed summary or booklet of the information provided to practitioners.

Who is affected
- Primary: NC AHEC (responsible for development and dissemination) and health care practitioners across North Carolina (intended recipients).
- Secondary: State health licensing boards and professional societies (consulted); people with epilepsy and their families/caregivers (indirect beneficiaries); epilepsy-focused nonprofit organizations (listed as resources).
- Note: The bill is educational/awareness‑focused; it does not create clinical mandates, modify licensure requirements, or prescribe clinical practice standards.

Potential impacts and considerations
- Public health/clinical: Improved provider awareness of SUDEP risk factors could lead to better counseling, risk‑reduction strategies (e.g., seizure control, treatment adherence), and referrals to support services.
- Administrative/fiscal: Likely modest costs for NC AHEC to convene consultations, create materials, and host content online. No fiscal analysis is included in the bill text provided.
- Implementation: Timely collaboration among multiple boards and societies will be required to meet the September 1, 2025 reporting deadline.

Limitations / Clarifications
- The statute directs education and dissemination; it does not require training, certification, or changes to clinical practice by providers.
- The bill’s effectiveness depends on NC AHEC’s outreach and whether practitioners access/use the materials.