A new bill filed by State Sen. Steve Jarvis in the North Carolina Senate seeks to eliminate the requirement for health care providers to obtain state approval before expanding services, according to the North Carolina State Senate.
The bill, filed as SB 370 on March 20 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Repeal Certificate of Need Laws.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill repeals North Carolina’s Certificate of Need laws effective Jan. 1, 2026, eliminating the requirement for health care providers to obtain state approval before expanding facilities or services. The bill amends various statutes to remove references to Certificate of Need regulations and allows licensed facilities, such as hospitals and residential treatment centers, to change operations without needing the previously required state authorization. Additionally, the bill adjusts provisions related to legal proceedings, licensing and appeals processes for health care providers, thereby integrating these legislative changes across related legal frameworks.
A related bill, HB 455, was also filed in the North Carolina House, introduced by Rep. Keith Kidwell (and two others) on March 18, 2025.
Of the three sponsors of this bill, Amy S. Galey proposed the most bills (30) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Jarvis graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government.
Jarvis, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 30th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Phil Berger.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Jarvis, Amy S. Galey, and Benton G. Sawrey | SB 370 | 03/20/2025 | Repeal Certificate of Need Laws. |
| Steve Jarvis and Timothy D. Moffitt | SB 314 | 03/17/2025 | Eliminate ETJ Overlap. |
| Steve Jarvis, Benton G. Sawrey, and Timothy D. Moffitt | SB 290 | 03/13/2025 | NC REINS Act. |
| Steve Jarvis, Brad Overcash, and Buck Newton | SB 280 | 03/12/2025 | Private School Security Act. |
| Steve Jarvis | SB 205 | 02/27/2025 | Swimming Pools/Housing Regulatory Reform. |
| Steve Jarvis, Tom McInnis, and Warren Daniel | SB 207 | 02/27/2025 | Litter Law/Rebuttable Presumption. |
| Steve Jarvis | SB 53 | 02/05/2025 | 30th Senatorial District Local Act-1. |
