GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 661
Short Title: Protect Moms Who Serve. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Applewhite and Smith (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S661 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALT H AND HUMAN SERVICES , IN 2
CONSULTATION WITH TH E DEPARTMENT OF MILI TARY AND VETERANS 3
AFFAIRS, TO STUDY HEALTH ISSUES AFFECTING WOMEN WHO SERVE IN THE 4
MILITARY; AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THIS PURPOSE. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1.(a) The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) shall study 7
the following issues affecting women who serve in the military: 8
(1) Coordinating effectively between veterans health care facilities and 9
non-veterans health care facilities in the delivery of maternity care and other 10
health care services. 11
(2) Facilitating access to community resources to address social determinants of 12
health, including housing, nutrition, and employment status. 13
(3) Identifying mental and behavioral health risk factors in the prenatal and 14
postpartum periods and ensuring that pregnant and postpartum veterans get 15
the treatments they need. 16
(4) Facilitating access to childbirth preparation classes, parenting classes, 17
nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support, lactation classes, and breast 18
pumps. 19
(5) Reducing maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, with a particular 20
focus on racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes. 21
SECTION 1.(b) In conducting the study required by subsection (a) of this section, 22
the Department of Health and Human Services shall solicit feedback from mothers who are 23
currently serving, or who formerly served, in the military. In addition, the DHHS shall consult 24
with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), as necessary. The DMVA shall 25
cooperate with the DHHS and provide any assistance or information requested with respect to 26
the study required by subsection (a) of this section. 27
SECTION 1.(c) By April 1, 2026, the DHHS shall report its findings, and any 28
recommendations for legislation, to the Senate Health Care Committee, the Joint Legislative 29
Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee 30
on General Government, and the Fiscal Research Division. 31
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 32
Health and Human Services the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in nonrecurring 33
funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the purpose of conducting the study described in Section 34
1 of this act. 35
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 36