WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SB 907

The Ciji Graham Act.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Val Applewhite and 6 co-sponsors

Create a statewide, coordinated framework of high-risk pregnancy care, including a navigation program, a 24/5 hotline, a clinical information hub, and standardized referrals to imp

Passed 1st Reading
#appropriations;budgeting;data&recordssystems;dhhs;healthservices;informationtechnology;infrastructure;pregnancy;public;publichealth;telecommunications;telephones;teleservices;women;records;namedlaws;familyissues
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 907

Summary of SB 907 — The Ciji Graham Act (North Carolina, 2025 Session)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill aims to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce maternal health disparities in North Carolina.
  • It establishes a comprehensive framework to support high-risk pregnancies through:
    • A High-Risk Pregnancy Care Navigation Program
    • A statewide Pregnancy Consultation Hotline
    • A centralized Clinical Information Hub for managing high-risk pregnancies
    • Standardized referral pathways for high-risk pregnancy situations
  • The measure is motivated by concerns over preventable maternal deaths and disparities, highlighted by the case of Ciji Graham, and seeks to reduce delays in care and improve coordinated services.

Key provisions

Part II — High-Risk Pregnancy Care Navigation Program

  • Funding: Appropriates $2,300,000 in recurring General Fund dollars starting in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the DHHS Division of Public Health.
  • Program scope: Implement a uniform program across North Carolina’s six Medicaid managed care regions.
  • Staffing: Allocates $1,300,000 to create 12 full-time Nurse Consultant positions distributed evenly across the six regions.
    • Duties include:
    • Helping patients understand high-risk diagnoses
    • Coordinating timely referrals (maternal-fetal medicine specialists, high-risk obstetricians, hospitals equipped for high-risk labor/delivery, and providers offering pregnancy termination services when appropriate and allowed by state law)
    • Providing culturally competent, patient-centered guidance
    • Addressing barriers to care (transportation, insurance enrollment, scheduling, continuity of care)
  • Administration/Infrastructure: Allocates $1,000,000 for program administration and infrastructure (e.g., equipment, telehealth, internet). Up to 1% may be used for administrative purposes.
  • Reporting: Annual reports due September 1 starting 2028 to Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on HHS and the Fiscal Research Division, detailing:
    • Expenditures
    • Services provided and frequency of use
    • Timeliness and impact of referrals on access to care
    • Maternal/infant health outcomes
    • Operational obstacles and improvement recommendations

Part III — Pregnancy Consultation Hotline

  • Funding: Allocates $7,700,000 in recurring funds starting in 2026-2027 to establish a statewide hotline.
  • Operation: Hotline staffed Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, by qualified healthcare providers (including maternal-fetal medicine specialists).
  • Services provided:
    • Rapid access to clinical guidance and urgent case-specific advice
    • Referrals to:
    • North Carolina’s Pregnancy Medical Home Program
    • Maternal health services
    • Nutritional assistance (WIC, Food and Nutrition Services)
    • Community-based organizations
  • Reporting: By Sept 1, 2027 and Sept 1, 2028, baseline data to be reported, including:
    • Number of consultations
    • Geographic reach
    • Percentage resulting in referrals to MFM specialists
    • Estimated number of avoided ER visits
    • Other relevant information about hotline operations

Part IV — Centralized Clinical Information Hub

  • DHHS shall develop and maintain a centralized, evidence-based digital hub for clinicians managing high-risk pregnancies.
  • Hub components:
    • Up-to-date clinical guidelines for high-risk pregnancy management
    • Real-time, regionally organized directory of:
    • MFM specialists
    • High-risk obstetric providers
    • Facilities equipped for complex pregnancy care
    • Abortion care providers (where permitted by law)
    • Standardized referral protocols for timely care transitions
    • Decision-support tools for counseling and referrals in complex or life-threatening pregnancy situations

Part V — Standardized Referral Pathways

  • DHHS, with stakeholder input, shall establish uniform referral pathways.
  • Options for patients diagnosed with high-risk conditions:
    • If continuing pregnancy: immediate referral to appropriate high-risk obstetric or MFM care
    • If terminating or medically indicated: timely referral to qualified pregnancy termination providers, as permitted by state law

Part VI — Effective Date

  • The act becomes effective July 1, 2026.

Who is affected

  • Pregnant individuals at high risk in North Carolina (across all regions, particularly in Medicaid managed care regions).
  • Healthcare providers, including:
    • Maternal-fetal medicine specialists
    • High-risk obstetricians
    • Primary care and other providers involved in pregnancy care
  • DHHS Division of Public Health (implementation, administration, data collection, reporting)
  • Hospitals and clinical facilities involved in high-risk pregnancies
  • Community-based organizations and state health agencies involved in maternal health and nutrition services

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Funding begins in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
  • The High-Risk Pregnancy Care Navigation Program is to be operational across six Medicaid regions.
  • The hotline launches with ongoing operations from 2026-2027 onward; subsequent reporting cycles begin in 2027 and 2028.
  • Annual reporting requirements for both the navigation program and the hotline to oversight and fiscal committees begin in 2028 (and earlier for the hotline’s 2027 report).

Potential impact

  • Improved coordination of care for high-risk pregnancies, potentially reducing delays and missed referrals.
  • Enhanced access to specialist guidance and timely referrals, which could improve maternal and infant health outcomes and reduce unnecessary emergency department visits.
  • Greater standardization of referral processes and real-time clinical decision support for clinicians.
  • Increased support for patients navigating barriers to care (transportation, insurance, scheduling).
  • Data collection and accountability through regular reporting to state oversight bodies.

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

Sign in to ask a question.