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HB 122

North Carolina Board of Integrative Therapies.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Jonathan Almond and 6 co-sponsors

Creates the NC Healing Arts Commission to license reflexologists and music therapists, set fees, enforce standards, and protect public safety through licensure and discipline.

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Bill Summary · HB 122

HB 122 — North Carolina Healing Arts Act (2025) — Summary

Status: Passed first reading (Feb 17, 2025)
Primary sponsors: Representatives Warren and Riddell
Referred to: Health; if favorable, Regulatory Reform; if favorable, Finance; Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

Purpose

Establish a new statutory framework to regulate a set of “healing arts” professions by creating the North Carolina Healing Arts Commission and formal licensure processes — initially specifying licensure for reflexologists and music therapists — with the stated goals of protecting public health and safety and ensuring professional standards and accountability.

Key provisions

  • Creates Article 44 in Chapter 90 (Healing Arts) and establishes the North Carolina Healing Arts Commission.
  • Commission composition and terms:
    • Five members appointed to three-year terms:
    • One reflexologist appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
    • One music therapist appointed by the Speaker of the House.
    • One reflexologist appointed by the Governor.
    • One music therapist appointed by the Governor.
    • One public member appointed by the Governor.
    • Commissioners must be U.S. citizens and NC residents. Professional appointees (except the public member) must hold and maintain a North Carolina Healing Arts License.
    • Public member may not be a healing-arts practitioner, a spouse of a licensed practitioner, an employee/agent in the healing arts, nor have significant financial interest in a health service/profession.
    • Vacancies filled by the original appointing authority; members can be removed for neglect, incompetence, or unprofessional conduct.
    • No compensation; reimbursement permitted under G.S. 93B‑5. Commission must meet within 45 days after new appointments; chairs limited to five consecutive years.
  • Powers and duties of the Commission:
    • Adopt rules, establish and collect fees, issue/renew/deny/suspend/revoke licenses, order probation or reprimands, conduct investigations and administrative hearings, and appoint advisory committees.
    • Advisory committees will handle day‑to‑day regulation of specific healing‑arts professions: screening applicants, conducting investigations, and making recommendations to the Commission.
  • Funding and fees:
    • Fees payable to and deposited in the Commission’s accounts; fees and other Commission receipts are to be used to carry out the Article’s purposes. Salaries/expenses for administering the Article are to be paid exclusively from Commission fees or other receipts (i.e., not necessarily the State General Fund).
  • New professions:
    • For any healing‑arts professions created after Jan 1, 2026, the statute provides for two Commission members representing that profession (one appointed by the Governor, one by the General Assembly), with specified recommendation procedures.

Who would be affected

  • Reflexologists and music therapists practicing in North Carolina: will be subject to licensure, renewal, and standards set by the Commission.
  • Prospective practitioners and training programs: must meet licensure requirements established by the Commission/advisory committees.
  • Consumers of reflexology and music therapy services: would be served by a regulatory regime designed to set minimum qualifications, complaint/investigation processes, and disciplinary measures.
  • Entities employing such practitioners (clinics, hospitals, private practices): will need to ensure staff compliance with licensing rules.
  • The Commission and appointed advisory committees (new administrative bodies to implement and enforce the law).

Administrative and fiscal implications

  • The bill authorizes the Commission to set fees and to fund its operations from those fees and other receipts. The text directs that salaries, expenses, and other obligations under the Article be paid from Commission funds, implying limited or no direct appropriation from the General Fund (detailed fiscal impacts would depend on fee schedules and implementation decisions).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Introduced and read first time Feb 17, 2025; referred to the listed committees.
  • The statute contains a specific date reference for new profession membership rules (after Jan 1, 2026).
  • Next legislative/administrative steps would include committee consideration, potential amendments, and — if enacted — rulemaking by the Commission to set licensing standards, fees, and enforcement procedures before licensure becomes effective for practitioners.

Practical effect / considerations

  • Establishes statewide minimum standards, oversight, and disciplinary processes for reflexologists and music therapists, moving those practices from unregulated or locally regulated status into a formal licensure regime.
  • Likely outcomes include new compliance requirements (applications, fees, continuing education or training standards) for practitioners and a new administrative structure responsible for regulation and consumer protection.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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