GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 4
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/1/25
Committee Substitute #2 Favorable 4/15/25
Short Title: Sam's Law. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
January 30, 2025
*H4-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE ME DICAL CONDITION ACTI ON PLANS FOR CERTAIN 2
STUDENTS AND MEDICAL EMERGENCY PLANS IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL UNITS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-12 is amended by adding the following new subdivisions 5
to read: 6
"(50) Medical Condition Action Plan. – The State Board of Education shall adopt a 7
rule establishing a medical condition action plan as provided in 8
G.S. 115C-375.1 to be implemented by each public school unit for each 9
student at risk for a medical emergency as diagnosed by a doctor. 10
(51) Medical Emergency Plan. – The State Board of Education, in consultation 11
with the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Health and 12
Human Services, shall adopt a rule establishing the required response of 13
public school unit employees when a student has a medical emergency not 14
otherwise covered by a medical condition action plan implemented in 15
accordance with G.S. 115C-375.1. The Department of Public Instruction shall 16
provide each public school unit with a copy of the rule, and each public school 17
unit shall implement the rule." 18
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-375.1 reads as rewritten: 19
"§ 115C-375.1. To provide some medical care to students.students and implement medical 20
condition action plans. 21
(a) Notwithstanding G.S. 90-21.10B, it is within the scope of duty of teachers, including 22
substitute teachers, teacher assistants, student teachers, or any other public school employee 23
when authorized by the board of education governing body of a public school unit or its designee, 24
(i) to administer any drugs or medication prescribed by a doctor upon written request of the 25
parents, or as described in the medical condition action plan required by subsection (b) of this 26
section, (ii) to give emergency health care when reasonably apparent circumstances indicate that 27
any delay would seriously worsen the physical condition or endanger the life of the pupil, student, 28
and (iii) to perform any other first aid or lifesaving techniques in which the employee has been 29
trained in a program approved by the State Board of Education. At least one public school unit 30
employee per school shall be trained in first aid and lifesaving techniques, including seizure 31
recognition. No public school unit employee, however, other than a school administrator, shall 32
be required to administer drugs or medication or attend lifesaving techniques programs. 33
(b) Each governing body of a public school unit shall implement the medical condition 34
action plan adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C-12(50) for each 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 4-Third Edition
student at risk of a medical emergency as diagnosed by a doctor. The medical condition action 1
plan adopted by the State Board of Education shall include all of the following: 2
(1) A standard medical condition action plan form. 3
(2) Detailed instructions in the medical condition action plan form to ensure that 4
all individuals designated by the principal, or, if there is no principal, the staff 5
member with the highest decision-making authority, to provide medical care 6
for a student at risk for a medical emergency as diagnosed by a doctor, know 7
how to address the medical emergency. 8
(3) Information detailing the method by which and by whom any medical 9
emergency will be handled when the student is at a school-sponsored activity 10
that is not on the campus of the public school unit, including field trips and 11
interscholastic athletic activities. 12
(c) Any public school unit employee, authorized by the board of education governing 13
body of a public school unit or its designee to act under (i), (ii), or (iii) above, subsections (a) 14
and (b) of this section, shall not be liable in civil damages for any authorized act or for any 15
omission relating to that act unless the act or omission amounts to gross negligence, wanton 16
conduct, or intentional wrongdoing. Any person, serving in a voluntary position at the request of 17
or with the permission or consent of the board of education governing body of a public school 18
unit or its designee, who has been given the authority by the board of education governing body 19
of a public school unit or its designee to act under (ii) above give emergency health care when 20
reasonably apparent circumstances indicate that any delay would seriously worsen the physical 21
condition or endanger the life of the student shall not be liable in civil damages for any authorized 22
act or for any omission relating to the act unless the act amounts to gross negligence, wanton 23
conduct, or intentional wrongdoing. 24
(d) At the commencement of each school year, but before the beginning of classes, and 25
thereafter as circumstances require, the principal of each school school, or, if there is no principal, 26
the staff member with the highest decision-making authority, shall determine which persons will 27
participate in the medical care program." 28
SECTION 1.(c) The State Board of Education may adopt temporary rules to 29
implement this section. 30
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding the following new subdivisions 31
to read: 32
"(70) To Implement a Medical Condition Action Plan. – Local boards of education 33
shall implement the medical condition action plan adopted by the State Board 34
of Education under G.S. 115C-12(50) and as provided in G.S. 115C-375.1. 35
(71) To Implement a Medical Emergency Plan. – Local boards of education shall 36
implement the medical emergency plan adopted by the State Board of 37
Education under G.S. 115C-12(51)." 38
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-218.75 is amended by adding the following new 39
subsections to read: 40
"(e3) Medical Condition Action Plan. – A charter school shall implement the medical 41
condition action plan adopted by the State Board of Education under G.S. 115C-12(50) and as 42
provided in G.S. 115C-375.1. 43
(e4) Medical Emergency Plan. – A charter school shall implement the medical emergency 44
plan adopted by the State Board of Education under G.S. 115C-12(51)." 45
SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding the following new 46
subdivisions to read: 47
"(7h) Medical condition action plan. – A regional school shall implement the 48
medical condition action plan adopted by the State Board of Education under 49
G.S. 115C-12(50) and as provided in G.S. 115C-375.1. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 4-Third Edition Page 3
(7i) Medical emergency plan. – A regional school shall implement the medical 1
emergency plan adopted by the State Board of Education under 2
G.S. 115C-12(51)." 3
SECTION 2.(d) G.S. 116-239.8(b) is amended by adding the following new 4
subdivisions to read: 5
"(26) Medical condition action plan. – A laboratory school shall implement the 6
medical condition action plan adopted by the State Board of Education under 7
G.S. 115C-12(50) and as provided in G.S. 115C-375.1. 8
(27) Medical emergency plan. – A laboratory school shall implement the medical 9
emergency plan adopted by the State Board of Education under 10
G.S. 115C-12(51)." 11
SECTION 2.(e) Subdivision (2) of Section 6(d) of S.L. 2018-32 is amended by 12
adding the following new sub-subdivisions to read: 13
"p. (70) [To Implement a Medical Condition Action Plan]. 14
q. (71) [To Implement a Medical Emergency Plan]." 15
SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 16
the 2025-2026 school year. 17