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HB 410

North Carolina Institute of Medicine Study/Medical Aid in Dying.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Amber Baker and 19 co-sponsors

HB 410 directs NC's NCIOM to study medical aid in dying - safeguards, impacts, and interstate experiences; includes public hearings and a 2027 report; $150,000 funding.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · HB 410

Summary — HB 410 (North Carolina): NCIOM Study on Medical Aid in Dying

Short title: NCIOM Study/Medical Aid in Dying
Primary sponsors: Representatives Harrison, Lambeth, Howard, Prather (and others)
Status (per user info): Passed 1st Reading; referred to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (First read 3/18/2025)

Purpose and intent

HB 410 directs the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) to conduct a statewide study of the advantages and disadvantages of legalizing medical aid in dying (MAID) for terminally ill, mentally competent adults. The study is intended to gather evidence, compare experience in other U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized MAID, assess safeguards and impacts, and make recommendations (including possible legislative language) to the General Assembly and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Key provisions

  • Study scope: NCIOM must evaluate at minimum the 17 topic areas listed in the bill, including:
    • Application/approval processes and safeguards used in the 11 U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized MAID.
    • Demographics and motivations of MAID applicants.
    • Family/social/emotional impacts when MAID is available.
    • Medications and routes of administration used for MAID.
    • Options and protections for providers who choose to opt out.
    • Evidence on misuse/coercion and data on uptake rates (percentage of eligible persons who use MAID).
    • Impacts on hospice/palliative care, healthcare systems, and provider practice.
    • Estimation of likely utilization in North Carolina and any indicators of coercion in other states.
    • Other relevant issues deemed necessary by NCIOM.
  • Public engagement: NCIOM must hold at least one public hearing before submitting its report; at least 15 days’ advance notice is required and all interested persons shall be heard.
  • Reporting: NCIOM must submit its findings and any recommendations (including proposed legislation) to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and to DHHS by April 1, 2027.
  • Appropriation: The act appropriates $150,000 in nonrecurring General Fund dollars for fiscal year 2025–2026 to DHHS to be allocated to the NCIOM to fund the study. That appropriation is effective July 1, 2025.
  • Effective date: Except where otherwise provided, the act is effective upon enactment.

Who is affected

  • Directly: NCIOM (conducts study), DHHS (receives the appropriation and allocates funds), and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services (receives the report).
  • Indirectly: terminally ill patients and families, healthcare providers (physicians, hospice and palliative care professionals), clinical institutions, insurers, and legal/regulatory stakeholders — to the extent the study leads to policy or statutory changes.

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Funding effective: July 1, 2025 (nonrecurring $150,000 for FY 2025–26).
  • Public hearing(s): to be scheduled by NCIOM with minimum 15 days’ notice (before the final report).
  • Final report due: April 1, 2027 — approximately a ~2-year study period.
  • This bill authorizes a study and does not itself legalize MAID; any legal change would require separate legislative action informed by the study’s recommendations.

Potential impact

  • Fiscal: one-time cost of $150,000 to the General Fund for FY 2025–26.
  • Policy: the study will produce evidence and recommendations that could shape future legislative choices about MAID in North Carolina (including draft statutory language and recommended safeguards).
  • Practical: improved understanding of clinical, legal, ethical, and system-level implications of MAID (based on multi-jurisdictional data and public input).

For more detail, see the bill text sections defining the 17 study topics, the public hearing requirement, the report recipients, and the appropriation language.

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

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