North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S348 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 348
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS45204-MGa-70
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Home Comfort Act. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senators Theodros, Robinson, and Applewhite (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 20, 2025~~
11		-	~~S348 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS45204 -MGa-70
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 2
14	15		SERVICES, DIVISION OF AGING, TO ESTABLISH A HOME MODIFICATION 3
15	16		GRANT PROGRAM AND TO EXPAND STATE -FUNDED SUPPORTIVE SERVICES 4
16	17		TO HELP SENIORS SAFELY AGE IN PLACE WITH COMFORT AND DIGNITY . 5
17	18		Whereas, North Carolina's population of senior citizens is growing, necessitating 6
18	19		expanded home-based care and State-funded financial assistance to enable them to age in place 7
19	20		comfortably at home; and 8
20	21		Whereas, assisting senior citizens with necessary home modifications and in-home 9
21	22		support services will promote greater independence and safety, which are linked to a higher 10
22	23		quality of life; and 11
23	24		Whereas, Article XI, Section 4 of the North Carolina Constitution establishes the 12
24	25		State's duty to provide for the welfare of its most vulnerable citizens; Now, therefore, 13
25	26		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 14
26	27		15
27	28		PART I. TITLE 16
28	29		SECTION 1.1. This act shall be known as "The Home Comfort Act." 17
29	30		18
30	31		PART II. DEFINITIONS 19
31	32		SECTION 2.1. The following definitions apply in this act: 20
32	33		(1) Department. – The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of 21
33	34		Aging. 22
34	35		(2) Eligible senior. – A resident of North Carolina who is 65 years of age or older 23
35	36		with a household income at or below two hundred fifty percent (250%) of the 24
36	37		federal poverty level. 25
37	38		26
38	39		PART III. HOME MODIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM 27
39	40		SECTION 3.1.(a) Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the General 28
40	41		Fund to the Department the sum of seven million dollars ($7,000,000) in recurring funds for each 29
41	42		year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to establish and administer a Home Modification Grant 30
42	43		Program (Program). The purpose of the Program is to provide State-funded financial assistance 31
43	44		to eligible seniors to make essential home modifications to a primary residence to improve 32
44	45		accessibility and safety, including, but not limited to, all of the following: 33
45	46		(1) Installation of wheelchair ramps. 34
46	47		(2) Bathroom safety improvements, such as grab bars and walk-in showers. 35
47		-	(3) Widening of doorways for mobility assistance. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 348-First Edition
	48	+	(3) Widening of doorways for mobility assistance. 36
	49	+	FILED SENATE
	50	+	Mar 19, 2025
	51	+	S.B. 348
	52	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	53	+	Page 2 DRS45204-MGa-70
49	54		(4) Stairlifts and handrail installations. 1
50	55		SECTION 3.1.(b) The Department shall establish an application process and 2
51	56		eligibility criteria for participation in the Program. In addition, the Department shall make the 3
52	57		final decision about the amount of financial assistance to award to each eligible senior and the 4
53	58		specific essential home modifications approved, subject to all of the following requirements: 5
54	59		(1) Each recipient of financial assistance under the Program shall meet at least all 6
55	60		of the following criteria: 7
56	61		a. Is 65 years of age or older. 8
57	62		b. Has a household income at or below two hundred fifty percent (250%) 9
58	63		of the federal poverty level. 10
59	64		(2) No single household may receive more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in 11
60	65		financial assistance. 12
61	66		(3) In selecting eligible seniors for financial assistance, the Department shall give 13
62	67		priority to eligible seniors residing in rural and underserved communities. 14
63	68		(4) Program participants are required to engage contractors who hold a valid 15
64	69		North Carolina general contractor's license to perform the essential home 16
65	70		modifications funded by the Program, and the Department shall give priority 17
66	71		to contractors who are certified aging-in-place specialists or Americans With 18
67	72		Disabilities Act-certified contractors. 19
68	73		SECTION 3.1.(c) The Department may use up to five percent (5%) of the funds 20
69	74		authorized by this section for each fiscal year for administrative purposes associated with 21
70	75		administering the Program. 22
71	76		SECTION 3.2. The Department shall begin accepting applications for the Program 23
72	77		on or before January 1, 2026. 24
73	78		25
74	79		PART IV. SUPPORTIVE IN-HOME SERVICES 26
75	80		SECTION 4.1. Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated to the Department the 27
76	81		sum of forty-two million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($42,250,000) in recurring funds for 28
77	82		each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to be allocated and used for all of the following: 29
78	83		(1) To provide increased funding for existing programs that aid eligible seniors 30
79	84		with their daily activities, personal care, and household maintenance. 31
80	85		(2) To provide State-funded financial assistance to eligible seniors for home 32
81	86		health agency services. As used in this section, a home health agency is an 33
82	87		agency certified to receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for 34
83	88		providing nursing care, therapy, medical social services, and home health aide 35
84	89		services. 36
85	90		(3) To provide grants to Area Agencies on Aging, county departments of social 37
86	91		services, and local health departments to implement or expand home care 38
87	92		independence services for eligible seniors to help them to remain safely in 39
88	93		their home settings. 40
89	94		(4) To establish a Caregiver Assistance Program that provides a monthly stipend 41
90	95		of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) to a family member who provides 42
91	96		in-home care to an eligible senior. The Department shall establish an 43
92	97		application process and eligibility criteria for participation in the Caregiver 44
93	98		Assistance Program. In addition, the Department shall determine the amount 45
94	99		of the monthly stipend for each applicant. In determining the amount of the 46
95	100		monthly stipend, the Department shall consider an assessment of care needs 47
96	101		performed by a licensed physician. Each recipient of financial assistance 48
97	102		under the Caregiver Assistance Program shall meet at least all of the following 49
98	103		criteria: 50
99	104		a. Is 65 years of age or older. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
100		-	~~Senate Bill 348-First Edition~~ Page 3
	105	+	DRS45204-MGa-70 Page 3
101	106		b. Has a household income at or below two hundred fifty percent (250%) 1
102	107		of the federal poverty level. 2
103	108		3
104	109		PART V. AGING-IN-PLACE RESOURCE S 4
105	110		SECTION 5.1. Effective July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the General Fund 5
106	111		to the Department the sum of seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) in recurring funds 6
107	112		for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium and the sum of one million five hundred thousand 7
108	113		dollars ($1,500,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to be allocated and used 8
109	114		as follows: 9
110	115		(1) One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) in nonrecurring funds 10
111	116		for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to develop and implement a statewide hotline 11
112	117		and online portal to assist eligible seniors with navigating the programs 12
113	118		included in the aging-in-place resource guide developed pursuant to 13
114	119		sub-subdivision (2)b. of this section. The Department shall work toward 14
115	120		making the hotline and online portal fully operational by December 1, 2026. 15
116	121		(2) Seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) in recurring funds for each 16
117	122		year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to accomplish both of the following: 17
118	123		a. To pay for ongoing operational expenses and maintenance associated 18
119	124		with the statewide hotline and online portal implemented pursuant to 19
120	125		subdivision (1) of this section. 20
121	126		b. To develop, update annually, and distribute free of charge to eligible 21
122	127		seniors and their families an aging-in-place resource guide that 22
123	128		contains information, guidance, and planning support regarding home 23
124	129		adaptations, long-term care options, safety assessments, and 24
125	130		State-funded programs to assist eligible seniors with aging in place at 25
126	131		home, including the Home Modification Grant Program established by 26
127	132		Section 3.1 of this act. 27
128	133		28
129	134		PART VI. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 29
130	135		SECTION 6.1. Annually by April 1, beginning April 1, 2027, the Department shall 30
131	136		submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and 31
132	137		the Fiscal Research Division on the use of the funds appropriated by this act during the preceding 32
133	138		fiscal year. Except as otherwise provided, each report shall include at least all of the following: 33
134	139		(1) For the first report due on April 1, 2027, an explanation of the eligibility 34
135	140		criteria established by the Department for any newly established programs. 35
136	141		(2) The total number of grants awarded to Area Agencies on Aging, county 36
137	142		departments of social services, and local health departments to implement or 37
138	143		expand home care independence services for eligible seniors to help them to 38
139	144		remain safely in their home settings; the identity of each grant recipient; and 39
140	145		the amount of grant funds awarded to each recipient. 40
141	146		(3) The total amount of State financial assistance awarded to eligible seniors 41
142	147		pursuant to this act, broken down by program. 42
143	148		(4) The specific home modifications funded for each Home Modification Grant 43
144	149		recipient and the costs associated with these modifications. 44
145	150		45
146	151		PART VII. EFFECTIVE DATE 46
147	152		SECTION 7.1. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 47
148	153		law. 48