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SB 352

Relating to a grant program that facilitates the eradication of gorse for wildfire mitigation in southwest Oregon; prescribing an effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by David Smith

NC SB 352 sets a recurring $2.5M General Fund grant program (2025–27) for nonprofit health centers to buy and provide FDA‑approved LARCs to underserved, uninsured patients.

In committee upon adjournment.
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Bill Summary · SB 352

SB 352 — Community Health Center Grants for LARCs (2025)

Status: Passed 1st Reading
Introduced: February 12, 2025
Effective date: July 1, 2025 (per bill)
Primary subject(s): Health services; public health; family planning; appropriations; grants

Purpose / Intent

To expand access to long‑acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) for underserved populations by providing state grant funding to nonprofit community health centers so they can purchase and make LARCs available to uninsured, medically indigent, or otherwise underserved patients.

Key provisions

  • Appropriation: $2,500,000 (General Fund), recurring for each year of the 2025–2027 biennium.
  • Administering agency: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health.
  • Grant program: DHHS shall award competitive grants to nonprofit community health centers.
  • Use of funds: Grant recipients must use awarded funds solely to purchase and make available LARCs to underserved, uninsured, or medically indigent patients.
  • Definition of "long‑acting reversible contraceptives" (per the bill): a contraceptive drug or device that
    • provides effective contraception for an extended period without depending on user action;
    • is temporary and may be discontinued at the user’s election;
    • is FDA‑approved for contraceptive use; and
    • is obtained under a prescription by a health care provider authorized under state law.

Who is affected

  • Directly: nonprofit community health centers that successfully compete for grants.
  • Beneficiaries: underserved, uninsured, and medically indigent patients who will have increased access to LARCs (e.g., IUDs, contraceptive implants).
  • State budget: recurring General Fund obligation of $2.5 million per fiscal year during the biennium.
  • DHHS: responsible for establishing grant processes and oversight.

Timeline / Procedural notes

  • Funds are appropriated for the 2025–2027 biennium and the bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
  • The bill requires DHHS to run a competitive grant program, but does not specify application deadlines, award criteria, reporting requirements, or monitoring details — these are left to DHHS rulemaking/administrative design.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Public health: increased access to LARCs may reduce unintended pregnancies and improve reproductive health equity among low‑income and uninsured populations.
  • Financial: up‑front state cost of $2.5M/year; potential downstream savings to public programs by reducing costs associated with unintended pregnancies.
  • Implementation needs: DHHS must design grant criteria, application and award processes, and oversight mechanisms; grantees may require provider training, supply chain logistics, and systems to offer services at low or no cost.
  • Limitations / uncertainties:
    • The statute restricts fund use to purchase and provision of devices/drugs — it does not explicitly fund provider training, insertion/removal procedures, patient counseling, or follow‑up care (though these services are necessary to deliver LARC access).
    • No explicit data reporting, outcome metrics, or sunset language beyond the biennium appropriation are specified.
    • Political and administrative considerations around contraception programs may affect execution.

Bottom line

SB 352 creates a modest, recurring state grant program to help nonprofit community health centers buy and provide FDA‑approved LARCs to underserved North Carolinians beginning July 1, 2025. The program is intended to expand contraceptive access and equity, though successful delivery will depend on DHHS implementation details and whether ancillary services (training, procedures, counseling) are resourced by centers or other funding.

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

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