Text of NC S 571 (2025)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S D SENATE BILL DRS55021-MGa-77A Short Title: MOMnibus 3.0. (Public) Sponsors: Senators Murdock, Batch, and Robinson (Primary Sponsors). Referred to: *DRS55021-MGa-77A* A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 AN ACT TO ENACT THE NORTH CAROLINA MOMNIBUS ACT. 2 Whereas, every person should be entitled to dignity and respect during and after 3 pregnancy and childbirth, and patients should receive the best care possible regardless of age, 4 race, ethnicity, color, religion, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, 5 marital status, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, 6 citizenship, nationality, immigration status, primary language, or language proficiency; and 7 Whereas, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed 8 world, where about 700 women die each year from childbirth and another 50,000 suffer from 9 severe complications; and 10 Whereas, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that the 11 majority of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable; and 12 Whereas, pregnancy-related deaths among black birthing people are also more likely 13 to be miscoded; and 14 Whereas, access to prenatal care, socioeconomic status, and general physical health 15 do not fully explain the disparity seen in maternal mortality and morbidity rates among black 16 individuals, and there is a growing body of evidence that black people are often treated unfairly 17 and unequally in the health care system; and 18 Whereas, implicit bias is a key driver of health disparities in communities of color; 19 and 20 Whereas, health care providers in North Carolina are not required to undergo any 21 implicit bias testing or training; and 22 Whereas, currently there does not exist any system to track the number of incidents 23 where implicit prejudice and implicit stereotypes led to negative birth and maternal health 24 outcomes; and 25 Whereas, it is in the interest of this State to reduce the effects of implicit bias in 26 pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care so that all people are treated with dignity and respect 27 by their health care providers; Now, therefore, 28 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 29 30 PART I. SUPPORTING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS 31 32 ESTABLISHMENT OF MATERNAL CARE ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM 33 SECTION 1.1.(a) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section: 34 (1) Culturally respectful congruent. – Sensitive to and respectful of the preferred 35 cultural values, beliefs, world view, and practices of the patient, and aware 36 FILED SENATE Mar 25, 2025 S.B. 571 PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Page 2 DRS55021-MGa-77A that cultural differences between patients and health care providers or other 1 service providers must be proactively addressed to ensure that patients receive 2 equitable, high-quality services that meet their needs. 3 (2) Department. – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human 4 Services. 5 (3) Postpartum. – The one-year period beginning on the last day of a woman's 6 pregnancy. 7 SECTION 1.1.(b) Establishment of Grant Program. – The Department shall 8 establish and administer a Maternal Care Access Grant Program to award competitive grants to 9 eligible entities to establish or expand programs for the prevention of maternal mortality and 10 severe maternal morbidity among black women. The Department shall establish eligibility 11 requirements for program participation which shall, at a minimum, require that applicants be 12 community-based organizations offering programs and resources aligned with evidence-based 13 practices for improving maternal health outcomes for black women. 14 SECTION 1.1.(c) Outreach and Application Assistance. – Beginning July 1, 2025, 15 the Department shall (i) conduct outreach to encourage eligible applicants to apply for grants 16 under this program and (ii) provide application assistance to eligible applicants on best practices 17 for applying for grants under this program. In conducting the outreach required by this section, 18 the Department shall give special consideration to eligible applicants that meet the following 19 criteria: 20 (1) Are based in, and provide support for, communities with high rates of adverse 21 maternal health outcomes and significant racial and ethnic disparities in 22 maternal health outcomes. 23 (2) Are led by black women. 24 (3) Offer programs and resources that are aligned with evidence-based practices 25 for improving maternal health outcomes for black women. 26 SECTION 1.1.(d) Grant Awards. – In awarding grants under this section, the 27 Department shall, to the extent possible, award grants to recipients to reflect different areas of 28 the State. The Department shall not award a single grant for less than ten thousand dollars 29 ($10,000) or more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per grant recipient. In selecting grant 30 recipients, the Department shall give special consideration to eligible applicants that meet all of 31 the following criteria: 32 (1) Meet all of the criteria specified in subdivisions (1) through (3) of subsection 33 (c) of this section. 34 (2) Offer programs and resources designed in consultation with and intended for 35 black women. 36 (3) Offer programs and resources in the communities in which they are located 37 that include any of the following activities: 38 a. Promoting maternal mental health and maternal substance use disorder 39 treatments that are aligned with evidence-based practices for 40 improving maternal mental health outcomes for black women. 41 b. Addressing social determinants of health for women in the prenatal 42 and postpartum periods, including, but not limited to, any of the 43 following: 44 1. Inadequate housing. 45 2. Transportation barriers. 46 3. Poor nutrition and a lack of access to healthy foods. 47 4. Need for lactation support. 48 5. Need for lead abatement and other efforts to improve air and 49 water quality. 50 6. Lack of access to child care. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 DRS55021-MGa-77A Page 3 7. Need for baby supplies such as diapers, formula, clothing, baby 1 and child equipment, and safe car seat installation. 2 8. Need for wellness and stress management programs. 3 9. Education about maternal health and well-being. 4 10. Need for coordination across safety net and social support 5 services and programs. 6 11. Barriers to employment. 7 c. Promoting evidence-based health literacy and pregnancy, childbirth, 8 and parenting education for women in the prenatal and postpartum 9 periods, including group-based programs and peer support groups. 10 d. Providing individually tailored support from doulas and other perinatal 11 health workers to women from pregnancy through the postpartum 12 period. 13 e. Providing culturally respectful congruent training to perinatal health 14 workers such as doulas, community health workers, peer supporters, 15 certified lactation consultants, nutritionists and dietitians, social 16 workers, home visitors, and navigators. 17 f. Conducting or supporting research on issues affecting black maternal 18 health. 19 g. Developing other programs and resources that address 20 community-specific needs for women in the prenatal and postpartum 21 periods and are aligned with evidence-based practices for improving 22 maternal health outcomes for black women. 23 SECTION 1.1.(e) Technical Assistance to Grant Recipients. – The Department shall 24 provide technical assistance to grant recipients regarding all of the following: 25 (1) Capacity building to establish or expand programs to prevent adverse maternal 26 health outcomes among black women. 27 (2) Best practices in data collection, measurement, evaluation, and reporting. 28 (3) Planning centered around sustaining programs implemented with grant funds 29 to prevent maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among black 30 women when the grant funds have been expended. 31 SECTION 1.1.(f) Reports. – The Department shall submit the following reports on 32 the grant program authorized by this section to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on 33 Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division: 34 (1) A report by October 1, 2026, that includes at least all of the following 35 components: 36 a. A detailed report on funds expended for the program for the 2025-2026 37 fiscal year. 38 b. An assessment of the effectiveness of outreach efforts by the 39 Department during the application process in diversifying the pool of 40 grant recipients. 41 c. Recommendations for future outreach efforts to diversify the pool of 42 grant recipients for this program and other related grant programs, as 43 well as for funding opportunities related to the social determinants of 44 maternal health. 45 (2) A report by October 1, 2027, that includes at least all of the following 46 components: 47 a. A detailed report on funds expended for the program for the 2026-2027 48 fiscal year. 49 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Page 4 DRS55021-MGa-77A b. An assessment of the effectiveness of programs funded by grants 1 awarded under this section in improving maternal health outcomes for 2 black women. 3 c. Recommendations for future grant programs to be administered by the 4 Department and for future funding opportunities for community-based 5 organizations to improve maternal health outcomes for black women 6 through programs and resources that are aligned with evidence-based 7 practices for improving maternal health outcomes for black women. 8 9 APPROPRIATIONS TO IMPLEMENT PART I 10 SECTION 1.2.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 11 of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of five million dollars 12 ($5,000,000) in recurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to be used and 13 allocated as follows: 14 (1) Ninety-three thousand five hundred thirteen dollars ($93,513) in recurring 15 funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to establish a full-time, 16 permanent Public Health Program Coordinator IV position within the 17 Department of Health and Human Services dedicated to performing the 18 following duties: 19 a. Providing application assistance to Maternal Care Access Grant 20 Program applicants. 21 b. Providing technical assistance to Maternal Care Access Grant Program 22 recipients. 23 c. Preparing the reports due under Section 1.1(f) of this Part. 24 (2) Four million nine hundred six thousand four hundred eighty-seven dollars 25 ($4,906,487) in recurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal 26 biennium to be allocated to the Maternal Care Access Grant Program 27 authorized by Section 1.1 of this Part. The Department of Health and Human 28 Services may use up to one percent (1%) of these funds for administrative 29 purposes related to the grant program. The balance of these funds shall be used 30 to operate the grant program. 31 SECTION 1.2.(b) The Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to 32 hire one full-time, permanent Public Health Program Coordinator IV position to perform the 33 duties described in subsection (a) of this section. 34 SECTION 1.3. This Part becomes effective July 1, 2025. 35 36 PART II. IMPLICIT BIAS IN HEALTH CARE 37 SECTION 2.1.(a) Part 5 of Article 1B of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is 38 amended by adding two new sections to read: 39 "§ 130A-33.62. Department to establish implicit bias training program for health care 40 professionals engaged in perinatal care. 41 (a) The following definitions apply in this section: 42 (1) Health care professional. – A licensed physician or other health care provider 43 licensed, registered, accredited, or certified to perform perinatal care and 44 regulated under the authority of a health care professional licensing authority. 45 (2) Health care professional licensing authority. – The Department of Health and 46 Human Services or an agency, board, council, or committee with the authority 47 to impose training or education requirements or licensure fees as a condition 48 of practicing in this State as a health care professional. 49 (3) Implicit bias. – A bias in judgment or behavior that results from subtle 50 cognitive processes, including implicit prejudice and implicit stereotypes, that 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 DRS55021-MGa-77A Page 5 often operate at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional 1 control. 2 (4) Implicit prejudice. – Prejudicial negative feelings or beliefs about a group that 3 a person holds without being aware of them. 4 (5) Implicit stereotypes. – The unconscious attributions of particular qualities to 5 a member of a certain social group that are influenced by experience and based 6 on learned associations between various qualities and social categories, 7 including race and gender. 8 (6) Perinatal care. – The provision of care during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and 9 postpartum and neonatal periods. 10 (7) Perinatal facility. – A hospital, clinic, or birthing center that provides perinatal 11 care in this State. 12 (b) The Department, in collaboration with (i) community-based organizations led by 13 black women that serve primarily black birthing people and (ii) a historically black college or 14 university or other institution that primarily serves minority populations, shall create or identify 15 an evidence-based implicit bias training program for health care professionals involved in 16 perinatal care. The implicit bias training program shall include, at a minimum, all of the following 17 components: 18 (1) Identification of previous or current unconscious biases and misinformation. 19 (2) Identification of personal, interpersonal, institutional, structural, and cultural 20 barriers to inclusion. 21 (3) Corrective measures to decrease implicit bias at the interpersonal and 22 institutional levels, including ongoing policies and practices for that purpose. 23 (4) Information about the effects of implicit bias, including, but not limited to, 24 ongoing personal effects of racism and the historical and contemporary 25 exclusion and oppression of minority communities. 26 (5) Information about cultural identity across racial or ethnic groups. 27 (6) Information about how to communicate more effectively across identities, 28 including racial, ethnic, religious, and gender identities. 29 (7) Information about power dynamics and organizational decision making. 30 (8) Trauma-informed care best practices and an emphasis on shared decision 31 making between providers and patients. 32 (9) Information about health inequities within the perinatal care field, including 33 information on how implicit bias impacts maternal and infant health 34 outcomes. 35 (10) Perspectives of diverse, local constituency groups and experts on particular 36 racial, identity, cultural, and provider-community relations issues in the 37 community. 38 (11) Information about socioeconomic bias. 39 (12) Information about reproductive justice. 40 (c) Notwithstanding any provision of Chapter 90 or Chapter 93B of the General Statutes, 41 or any other provision of law to the contrary, all health care professionals are required to complete 42 the implicit bias training program established under this section as follows: 43 (1) Health care professionals who hold a current license, registration, 44 accreditation, or certification on December 31, 2025, shall complete the 45 training program no later than December 31, 2026. 46 (2) Health care professionals issued an initial license, registration, accreditation, 47 or certification on or after January 1, 2026, shall complete the training 48 program no later than one year after the date of issuance. 49 A health care professional licensing authority shall not renew the license, registration, 50 accreditation, or certification of a health care professional unless the health care professional 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Page 6 DRS55021-MGa-77A provides proof of completion of the training program established under this section within the 1 24-month period leading up to the date of the renewal application. 2 (d) The Department is encouraged to seek opportunities to make the implicit bias training 3 program established under this section available to all health care professionals and to promote 4 its use among the following groups: 5 (1) All maternity care providers and any employees who interact with pregnant 6 and postpartum individuals in the provider setting, including front desk 7 employees, sonographers, schedulers, health system-employed lactation 8 consultants, hospital or health system administrators, security staff, and other 9 employees. 10 (2) Undergraduate programs that funnel into health professions schools. 11 (3) Providers of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, 12 and children under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. 13 (4) Obstetric emergency simulation trainings or related trainings. 14 (5) Emergency department employees, emergency medical technicians, and other 15 specialized health care providers who interact with pregnant and postpartum 16 individuals. 17 (e) The Department shall collect the following information for the purpose of informing 18 ongoing improvements to the implicit bias training program: 19 (1) Data on the causes of maternal mortality. 20 (2) Rates of maternal mortality, including rates distinguished by age, race, 21 ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location within this State. 22 (3) Other factors the Department deems relevant for assessing and improving the 23 implicit bias training program. 24 "§ 130A-33.63. Rights of perinatal care patients. 25 (a) A patient receiving care at a perinatal care facility, defined as a hospital, clinic, or 26 birthing center that provides perinatal care in this State, has the following rights: 27 (1) To be informed of continuing health care requirements following discharge. 28 (2) To be informed that, if the patient so authorizes, and to the extent permitted 29 by law, the hospital or health care facility may provide to a friend or family 30 member information about the patient's continuing health care requirements 31 following discharge. 32 (3) To actively participate in decisions regarding the patient's medical care and 33 the right to refuse treatment. 34 (4) To receive appropriate pain assessment and treatment. 35 (5) To receive care and treatment free from discrimination on the basis of age, 36 race, ethnicity, color, religion, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic 37 information, marital status, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual 38 orientation, socioeconomic status, citizenship, nationality, immigration status, 39 primary language, or language proficiency. 40 (6) To receive information on how to file a complaint with the Division of Health 41 Service Regulation or the Human Rights Commission or both about any 42 violation of these rights. 43 (b) Each perinatal care facility shall provide to each perinatal care patient upon admission 44 to the facility, or as soon as reasonably practical following admission to the facility, a written 45 copy of the rights enumerated in subsection (a) of this section. The facility may provide this 46 information to the patient by electronic means, and it may be provided with other notices 47 regarding patient rights." 48 SECTION 2.1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 49 of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of two million five hundred 50 thousand dollars ($2,500,000) in recurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 DRS55021-MGa-77A Page 7 to establish and administer the implicit bias training program for health care professionals 1 engaged in perinatal care authorized by G.S. 130A-33.62, as enacted by this act. 2 SECTION 2.2. Section 2.1(a) of this Part becomes effective October 1, 2025. 3 Section 2.1(b) of this Part becomes effective July 1, 2025. 4 5 PART III. SUPPORTING AND DIVERSIFYING LACTATION CONSULTANT 6 TRAINING PROGRAMS 7 SECTION 3.1.(a) The following definitions apply in this section: 8 (1) Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCUs. – Institutions of 9 higher education that were founded to educate black citizens who were 10 historically restricted from attending predominantly white institutions of 11 higher education. 12 (2) Lactation consultants. – Educators or counselors trained in breast feeding or 13 chest feeding practices, lactation care, and lactation services. 14 (3) Lactation services. – The clinical application of scientific principles and a 15 multidisciplinary body of evidence for evaluation, problem identification, 16 treatment, education, and consultation to childbearing families regarding 17 lactation care and services. 18 (4) Maternity care services. – Health care related to an individual's pregnancy, 19 childbirth, or postpartum recovery. 20 (5) Preceptor. – A person who is a certified lactation consultant and meets the 21 requirements of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners to 22 supervise lactation consultants-in-training during the training period. 23 SECTION 3.1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of 24 Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) in 25 nonrecurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium for the purposes of recruiting, 26 training, and retaining a diverse workforce of lactation consultants in North Carolina by 27 supporting the infrastructure and sustainability of lactation consultant training programs at 28 Historically Black Colleges and Universities located within the State. These funds shall be 29 distributed equally among Bennett College, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith 30 University, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, and North Carolina 31 Central University to cover costs incurred by each university for administering a lactation 32 training program, including, but not limited to: 33 (1) Leasing or other costs for teaching facilities or approved clinical training sites. 34 (2) Student aid or scholarships. 35 (3) Compensation for lactation consultant training program teachers and 36 preceptors. 37 SECTION 3.1.(c) The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide 38 technical assistance to Bennett College, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith 39 University, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, and North Carolina 40 Central University with respect to the following: 41 (1) Developing culturally appropriate training content for the lactation consultant 42 training programs funded by State appropriations. 43 (2) Recruiting persons from historically marginalized populations to enroll in the 44 lactation consultant training programs offered at these universities. 45 (3) Recruiting historically underutilized providers to serve as teachers and 46 preceptors in the lactation consultant training programs offered at these 47 universities. 48 (4) Identifying rural and medically underserved areas of the State experiencing a 49 shortage of lactation consultants in order to recruit program graduates to work 50 in these areas. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Page 8 DRS55021-MGa-77A SECTION 3.1.(d) By May 1, 2028, the Department of Health and Human Services 1 shall evaluate and submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and 2 Human Services and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the benefits 3 received by the State as a result of funding the lactation consultant training programs at North 4 Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and Johnson C. Smith University. The report 5 shall include at least all of the following information and recommendations: 6 (1) The total number of lactation consultants who received training at one of the 7 State-funded HBCU lactation programs, broken down by (i) race and ethnicity 8 and (ii) chosen work site, such as hospital, provider office, or 9 community-based organization. 10 (2) A review of the prenatal and postpartum experiences of patients who received 11 lactation consultant services from a health care professional who graduated 12 from one of the State-funded HBCU lactation consultant programs. The 13 review shall address patients' experiences relative to the following: 14 a. Health insurance coverage for maternity care services, including 15 telehealth lactation consultant services. 16 b. Contributing factors to population-based disparities in breast feeding 17 and chest feeding outcomes, including bias and discrimination toward 18 patients who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. 19 c. Patient satisfaction with the services received from these lactation 20 consultants. 21 d. Breast feeding or chest feeding initiation and duration rates of patients 22 who received services from these lactation consultants. 23 SECTION 3.2. This Part becomes effective July 1, 2025. 24 25 PART IV. PERINATAL EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM 26 SECTION 4.1.(a) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section: 27 (1) Department. – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human 28 Services. 29 (2) Perinatal education program. – A program that operates for the primary 30 purpose of educating pregnant women and their families about healthy 31 pregnancy, preparation for labor and birth, breast feeding, newborn care, or 32 any combination of these. 33 SECTION 4.1.(b) Establishment of Grant Program. – The Department shall 34 establish and administer a Perinatal Education Grant Program to award competitive grants to 35 eligible entities to establish or expand perinatal education programs in rural, underserved, or 36 low-wealth areas of the State. The Department shall establish eligibility requirements for 37 program participation which shall, at a minimum, require that applicants be community-based 38 organizations that offer perinatal education and resources aligned with evidence-based practices 39 for improving maternal health outcomes for black women. 40 SECTION 4.1.(c) Outreach and Application Assistance. – Beginning September 1, 41 2025, the Department shall (i) conduct outreach to encourage eligible applicants to apply for 42 grants under this program and (ii) provide application assistance to eligible applicants on best 43 practices for applying for grants under this program. In conducting the outreach required by this 44 section, the Department shall give special consideration to eligible applicants that meet the 45 following criteria: 46 (1) Are based in, and provide support for, communities with high rates of adverse 47 maternal health outcomes and significant racial and ethnic disparities in 48 maternal health outcomes. 49 (2) Are led by black women. 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 DRS55021-MGa-77A Page 9 (3) Offer programs and resources that are aligned with evidence-based practices 1 for improving maternal health outcomes for black women. 2 SECTION 4.1.(d) Grant Awards. – In awarding grants under this section, to the 3 extent possible, the grant recipients shall reflect different areas of the State. The Department shall 4 not award a single grant for less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more than fifty thousand 5 dollars ($50,000) per grant recipient. 6 SECTION 4.1.(e) Termination of Grant Program. – The Perinatal Grant Program 7 authorized by this section expires on June 30, 2027. 8 SECTION 4.1.(f) Report. – By October 1, 2028, the Department shall submit a report 9 to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal 10 Research Division that includes at least all of the following components: 11 (1) A detailed report on funds expended for the program for the 2025-2026 fiscal 12 year. 13 (2) An assessment of the effectiveness of programs funded by grants awarded 14 under this section in improving maternal health outcomes for black women. 15 (3) Recommendations for future grant programs to be administered by the 16 Department and for future funding opportunities for community-based 17 organizations to improve maternal health outcomes for black women through 18 programs and resources that are aligned with evidence-based practices for 19 improving maternal health outcomes for black women. 20 SECTION 4.1.(g) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department 21 of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, the sum of three million dollars 22 ($3,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to fund the 23 Perinatal Education Grant Program authorized by this section. Each fiscal year, the Department 24 of Health and Human Services may use up to five percent (5%) of the funds allocated for this 25 grant program for administrative purposes related to establishment and administration of the 26 Perinatal Education Grant Program. 27 SECTION 4.2. This Part becomes effective July 1, 2025. 28 29 PART V. MOMNI-BUS INITIATIVE 30 SECTION 5.1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 31 Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health (DPH), the sum of six million five 32 hundred thousand dollars ($6,500,000) for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to create 33 a Momni-Bus Initiative. The purpose of the Momni-Bus Initiative is to fund efforts to expand 34 access to maternal and infant health care and parenting programs, supports, and services to 35 families residing in geographic areas of the State where there is limited or no access to maternity 36 care services, including obstetric providers, a hospital or birth center, prenatal care, or postpartum 37 care. As part of this initiative, the Department shall allocate and use the funds appropriated by 38 this section as follows: 39 (1) One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) to provide a directed 40 grant to the March of Dimes, Inc., a nonprofit corporation in North Carolina, 41 to support its work toward ending preventable maternal health risks and 42 deaths, ending preventable preterm birth and infant death, and closing the 43 health equity gap. 44 (2) Five million dollars ($5,000,000) to award directed grants on a competitive 45 basis to nonprofit, community-based, and faith-based organizations that offer 46 programs, supports, and services aligned with evidence-based practices for a 47 healthy pregnancy through the postpartum period, infant health and care, and 48 parenting programs, supports, and services. The DPH shall establish an 49 application process and eligibility criteria for awarding the grants authorized 50 under this subdivision. By October 1, 2027, and October 1, 2028, the DPH 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Page 10 DRS55021-MGa-77A shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health 1 and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division on grants awarded 2 under this subdivision. The report shall include at least all of the following: 3 a. The identity and a brief description of the community health activities 4 performed by each grantee. 5 b. The amount of funding awarded to each grantee. 6 c. The number of persons served by each grantee. 7 SECTION 5.2. This Part becomes effective July 1, 2025. 8 9 PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE 10 SECTION 6.1. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 11 law. 12