Bill > S383

This bill establishes a legal framework protecting the right to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) in North Carolina, which includes medical procedures like in vitro fertilization (IVF). The bill defines key terms such as ART, health care providers, and health care services, and explicitly guarantees that neither the state nor its political subdivisions can prohibit or unreasonably limit patients' access to ART or health care providers' ability to offer such services. Importantly, the bill clarifies that a fertilized human egg or embryo existing outside a human body is not considered a person under state law, which provides legal protection for IVF procedures. The bill also appropriates $500,000 in state funds (matched by $913,000 in federal funds) to the Department of Health and Human Services to increase funding for Medicaid maternal support services through the Baby Love Program, starting July 1, 2025. The legislation ensures that health and safety laws regarding medical facilities and services remain enforceable, and it becomes effective immediately upon becoming law.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S383