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Bill Summary · HB 1081

Summary of North Carolina HB 1081 (Session 2025)

Title

Funds for Veterans / Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) / Funds

Primary purpose

To appropriate state funds to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for North Carolina veterans who have traumatic brain injury (TBI) or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at no cost to the veterans, through a directed program led by HBOT4HEROES.

Key provisions

1) Establishment of a program

  • Creates a program within the state framework to deliver HBOT to eligible NC veterans with TBI or PTSD.
  • The program is operated by HBOT4HEROES, a nonprofit corporation, and must provide treatment at no cost to veterans.
  • Treatment process must include:
    • Clinical intake
    • Treatment delivery
    • Pre- and post-treatment outcome assessments
  • HBOT provision must comply with existing statutory authority for HBOT (as referenced in Part 5 of Article 6, Chapter 122C of the General Statutes).

2) State appropriation

  • Provides a nonrecurring appropriation of $3,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services (Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, DMH/DD/SUS) for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
  • The funds are to be directed as a grant to HBOT4HEROES to:
    • Provide an estimated 15,000 HBOT treatments
    • Serve approximately 350 veterans
    • Cover direct treatment services, program administration, and required reporting
  • Funds do not revert; they remain available until expended.

3) Reporting requirement

  • By June 30, 2027, HBOT4HEROES must submit a detailed report to:
    • Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services
    • Joint Legislative Fiscal Review (the General Assembly’s fiscal committee)
  • The report must cover:
    • The provision and delivery of HBOT to veterans
    • Number of veterans served
    • Counties of veterans’ residence
    • Aggregate treatment outcomes
    • Accounting of State funds

4) Effective date

  • The act becomes effective July 1, 2026.

Who is affected

Beneficiaries

  • North Carolina veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who reside in North Carolina.
  • Veterans receive HBOT at no cost through a state-supported program.

Implementing entities

  • HBOT4HEROES (nonprofit) administers HBOT services under the act.
  • North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DMH/DD/SUS) administers the directed grant and oversees reporting.

Timeline and procedural aspects

  • Fiscal Year 2026-2027: Nonrecurring $3 million appropriation allocated to DMH/DD/SUS for HBOT4HEROES program.
  • Treatment delivery window corresponds to the fiscal year(s) funded by the appropriation; the act contemplates delivering about 15,000 HBOT treatments for ~350 veterans.
  • By June 30, 2027: Required programmatic and outcomes reporting to legislative oversight and fiscal committees.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2026, with program operations beginning under the new funding.

Notable context

  • HBOT is described as a recognized medical treatment and has been authorized for use with veterans suffering TBI and PTSD under prior statutes (S.L. 2019-175).
  • Prior pilot programs indicated improvements in health outcomes and quality of life for veterans, motivating the current directed funding.

Overall impact

  • The bill aims to expand access to HBOT for NC veterans with TBI/PTSD by creating a state-funded, no-cost treatment program.
  • It establishes a measurable funding stream, service delivery structure, and accountability reporting to ensure expenditures are tracked and outcomes assessed.

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

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