G.S. ch. 130A, art. 5

in effect

G.S. 130A-124 Department to establish maternal and child health program.

§ 130A-124. Department to establish maternal and child health program. (a) The Department shall establish and administer a maternal and child health program for the delivery of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and habilitative health services to women of childbearing years, children and other persons who require these services. The program may include, but shall not be limited to, providing professional education and consultation, community coordination and direct care and counseling. (b) The Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement the program. (c) Prior year refunds received by the Children's Special Health Services Program that are not encumbered or spent during a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund but shall remain in the Department for purchase of care and contracts in the Program. Funds appropriated for the purchase of care and contracts in the Program that are encumbered and not spent during a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund but shall remain in the Department for the purchase of care and contracts in the Program. (1983, c. 891, s. 2; 1993, c. 321, s. 275(a); 1997-172, s. 1; 1997-456, s. 54.)

G.S. 130A-125 Screening of newborns for metabolic and other hereditary and congenital disorders.

§ 130A-125. Screening of newborns for metabolic and other hereditary and congenital disorders. (a) The Department shall establish and administer a Newborn Screening Program. The program shall include, but shall not be limited to: (1) Development and distribution of educational materials regarding the availability and benefits of newborn screening. (2) Provision of laboratory testing. (3) Development of follow-up protocols to assure early treatment for identified children, and the provision of genetic counseling and support services for the families of identified children. (4) Provision of necessary dietary treatment products or medications for identified children as medically indicated and when not otherwise available. (5) For each newborn, provision of physiological screening in each ear for the presence of permanent hearing loss. (6) For each newborn, provision of pulse oximetry screening to detect congenital heart defects. (b) The Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement the Newborn Screening Program. The rules shall include, but shall not be limited to, the conditions for which screening is required. The Commission shall amend the rules as necessary to ensure that each condition listed on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel developed by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders of Newborns and Children (the RUSP) is included in the Newborn Screening Program within three years after being added to the RUSP, except that the Commission is exempt from rulemaking with respect to adding screening tests for Pompe disease, Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), and X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services 18 months after a condition is added to the RUSP. When a delay adding an RUSP-identified condition to the Newborn Screening Program exceeds three years, the Department shall provide a report on the status and reasons for the delay to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services every six months following the three-year delay. Screening is not required when the parents or the guardian of the infant object to such screening. If the parents or guardian object to the screening, the objection shall be presented in writing to the physician or other person responsible for administering the test, who shall place the written objection in the infant's medical record. (b1) The Commission shall adopt temporary and permanent rules to include newborn hearing screening and pulse oximetry screening in the Newborn Screening Program established under this section. (b2) The Commission's rules for pulse oximetry screening shall address at least all of the following: (1) Follow-up protocols to ensure early treatment for newborn infants diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, including by means of telemedicine. As used in this subsection, "telemedicine" is the use of audio and video between places of lesser and greater medical capability or expertise to provide and support health care when distance separates participants who are in different geographical locations. (2) A system for tracking both the process and outcomes of newborn screening utilizing pulse oximetry, with linkage to the Birth Defects Monitoring Program established pursuant to G.S. 130A-131.16. (c) A fee of one hundred twenty-eight dollars ($128.00) applies to a laboratory test performed by the State Laboratory of Public Health pursuant to this section. The fee for a laboratory test is a departmental receipt of the Department and shall be used to offset the cost of the Newborn Screening Program. The Commission may by rule, and in consultation with the Secretary, increase this fee by no more than the amount necessary to offset the cost of incorporating a condition listed on the RUSP into the Newborn Screening Program. The Commission shall by rule decrease this fee when it determines, in consultation with the Secretary, that current and anticipated fee receipts will exceed current and anticipated recurring operating costs of the Newborn Screening Program by more than ten percent (10%). (d) The Newborn Screening Equipment Replacement and Acquisition Fund (Fund) is established as a nonreverting fund within the Department. Thirty-one dollars ($31.00) of each fee collected pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be credited to this Fund and applied to the Newborn Screening Program to be used as directed in this subsection. The Department shall not use monies in this Fund for any purpose other than to purchase, replace, maintain, or support laboratory instruments, equipment, and information technology systems used in the Newborn Screening Program. The Department shall notify and consult with the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations whenever the balance in the Fund exceeds the following threshold: the sum of (i) the actual cost of new equipment necessary to incorporate conditions listed on the RUSP into the Newborn Screening Program and (ii) one hundred percent (100%) of the replacement value of existing equipment used in the Newborn Screening Program. Any monies in the Fund in excess of this threshold shall be available for expenditure only upon an act of appropriation by the General Assembly. (e) Annually on March 1, the Department shall report to the House Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division on the Newborn Screening Program. The report shall include all of the following information for the preceding fiscal year: (1) A description of the services funded by the Newborn Screening Program, including a description of the Department's activities with respect to each of the services listed in subsection (a) of this section. (2) A detailed budget and list of expenditures for the Newborn Screening Program, including all positions funded. (3) Fees and other receipts collected for the Newborn Screening Program. (4) Projected fees and other receipts for the Newborn Screening Program for the current and upcoming fiscal year. (5) Any condition the Department anticipates will be listed on the RUSP within the current or upcoming fiscal year and a description of the following: a. Any laboratory instruments or equipment the Department will need to purchase in order to perform screening for that condition. b. Any additional positions the Department will need to establish in order to perform screening for that condition. (6) The balance in the Newborn Screening Equipment Replacement and Acquisition Fund as of the preceding June 30. (7) Amounts credited to the Fund. (8) Amounts expended from the Fund and the purposes of the expenditures. (9) Proposed expenditures of the monies in the Fund for the current and upcoming fiscal year. (10) Any other information the Department deems relevant to maintaining the Newborn Screening Program as a fee-supported program. (1991, c. 661, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1039, s. 6; 1998-131, s. 13; 2000-67, s. 11.31(a); 2005-276, s. 41.1(a); 2007-182, s. 2; 2008-107, s. 29.4(a); 2013-45, s. 1; 2015-241, s. 12E.12(a); 2016-94, s. 12E.5(a); 2018-5, s. 11E.1(a); 2021-180, s. 9G.6A(a); 2023-65, s. 6.1; 2025-25, s. 29(6).)

G.S. 130A-126 Rulemaking authority for birth - three-year-old early intervention program.

§ 130A-126. Rulemaking authority for birth - three-year-old early intervention program. The rulemaking authority for the birth - three-year-old early intervention program through Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) is transferred from the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services to the Commission for Public Health. (2005-276, s. 10.54A; 2007-182, s. 2; 2025-25, s. 29(6).)

G.S. 130A-127 Department to establish program.

§ 130A-127. Department to establish program. (a) The Department shall establish and administer a perinatal health care program. The program may include, but shall not be limited to: (1) Prenatal health care services including health education and identification of high-risk pregnancies; (2) Prenatal, delivery and newborn health care services provided at hospitals participating at graduated levels of complexity; and (3) Regionalized perinatal health care services including a plan for effective communication, consultation, referral and transportation links among hospitals, health departments, physicians, schools and other relevant community resources for mothers and infants at high risk for mortality and morbidity. (b) The Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement the program. (1973, c. 1240, s. 1; 1983, c. 891, s. 2.)

G.S. 130A-128.1 Department to provide free educational information about umbilical cord stem cells and umbilical cord blood banking.

§ 130A-128.1. Department to provide free educational information about umbilical cord stem cells and umbilical cord blood banking. (a) As used in this section: (1) Health care professional. - A person who is licensed pursuant to Chapter 90 of the General Statutes to practice as a physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse or who is approved pursuant to Chapter 90 of the General Statutes to practice midwifery. (2) Umbilical cord blood. - The blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after the birth of a newborn child. (b) Effective January 1, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services shall make available free of charge to the general public on its website printable publications, in a format that can be downloaded, containing medically accurate information regarding umbilical cord stem cells and umbilical cord blood banking that is sufficient to allow a pregnant woman to make an informed decision about whether to participate in a public or private umbilical cord blood banking program. The publications shall include at least all of the following information: (1) An explanation of the medical processes involved in the collection of umbilical cord blood. (2) An explanation of any risks associated with umbilical cord blood collection to the mother and the newborn child. (3) The options available to a mother regarding stem cells contained in the umbilical cord blood after delivery of the mother's newborn child, including: a. Having the stem cells discarded. b. Donating the stem cells to a public umbilical cord blood bank. c. Storing the stem cells in a private umbilical cord blood bank for use by immediate and extended family members. d. Storing the stem cells for use by the family through a family or sibling donor banking program that provides free collection, processing, and storage of the stem cells where there is a medical need. (4) The current and potential future medical uses, risks, and benefits of umbilical cord blood collection to (i) the mother, newborn child, and biological family and (ii) individuals who are not biologically related to the mother or newborn child. (5) An explanation of the differences between public and private umbilical cord blood banking. (6) Options for ownership and future use of the donated umbilical cord blood. (c) The Department may satisfy the requirements of subsection (b) of this section by including on its website a link to a federally sponsored website that North Carolina citizens may access so long as the federally sponsored website contains all of the information specified in subdivisions (1) through (6) of subsection (b) of this section. (d) The Department shall encourage health care professionals who provide health care services that are directly related to a woman's pregnancy to provide each woman with the publications described in subsection (b) of this section prior to the woman's third trimester of pregnancy. (e) A health care professional or health care institution shall not be liable for damages in a civil action, subject to prosecution in a criminal proceeding, or subject to disciplinary action by the North Carolina Medical Board or the North Carolina Board of Nursing for acting in good faith with respect to informing a pregnant woman prior to her third trimester of pregnancy about the publications described in subsection (b) of this section. (2009-67, s. 1; 2009-570, s. 43.1; 2025-25, s. 29(5).)

G.S. 130A-129 Department to establish program.

§ 130A-129. Department to establish program. The Department shall establish and administer a Sickle Cell Program. The Commission shall, after consultation with the Council on Sickle Cell Syndrome, adopt rules for the program that shall include, but not be limited to, programs for education, voluntary testing, counseling, and medical reimbursement services for sickle cell syndrome. "Sickle cell syndrome" includes sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait, sickle cell thalassemia and variants. (1987, c. 822, s. 2.)

G.S. 130A-130 Duties of local health departments.

§ 130A-130. Duties of local health departments. Local health departments shall provide sickle cell syndrome testing and counseling at no cost to persons requesting these services. If an individual is found to have any aspect of sickle cell syndrome, the local health department shall inform the individual to that effect. The State Laboratory of Public Health shall, upon request, provide a person's sickle cell screening test results to any local health department or Sickle Cell Program contracting agency which has been requested to provide sickle cell services to that person. (1987, c. 822, s. 2.)

G.S. 130A-131 Council on Sickle Cell Syndrome; appointment; expenses; terms.

§ 130A-131. Council on Sickle Cell Syndrome; appointment; expenses; terms. A Council on Sickle Cell Syndrome is created. The Council shall consist of a chairperson and 14 other members appointed by the Governor. Members shall serve without compensation except for reimbursement for travel and expenses in pursuit of Council business. Except as provided in this subsection, Council members shall serve a term of three years. To achieve a staggered term structure, five members shall be appointed for a term of one year, five members for a term of two years, and five members for a term of three years. (1973, c. 570, s. 1; 1987, c. 822, s. 3; 1989, c. 727, s. 179.)

G.S. 130A-131.1 Council membership.

§ 130A-131.1. Council membership. In making appointments, consideration shall be given to persons representing the following areas: (1) Members of community agencies interested in sickle cell syndrome; (2) State and local officials concerned with public health, social services and rehabilitation; (3) Teachers and members of State and local school boards; (4) Physicians in medical centers and physicians in community practice who are interested in sickle cell syndrome; [and] (5) Persons or relatives of persons with sickle cell disease. (1973, c. 570, s. 2; 1987, c. 822, s. 3; 1989, c. 727, s. 179.)

G.S. 130A-131.2 Council role.

§ 130A-131.2. Council role. The Council shall advise the Department and the Commission for Public Health on the needs of persons with sickle cell syndrome, and shall make recommendations to meet these needs. Such recommendations shall include but not be limited to recommendations for legislative action and for rules regarding the services of the Sickle Cell Program. The Council shall develop procedures to facilitate its operation. All clerical and other services required by the Council shall be furnished by the Department without budget limitations. (1973, c. 570, s. 3; 1987, c. 822, s. 3; 1989, c. 727, ss. 179, 180; 1997-443, s. 11A.76; 2007-182, s. 2.)

G.S. 130A-131.3 Reserved for future codification purposes.

G.S. 130A-131.4 Reserved for future codification purposes.

G.S. 130A-131.5 Commission to adopt rules.

§ 130A-131.5. Commission to adopt rules. (a) For the protection of the public health, the Commission shall adopt rules for the prevention and control of lead poisoning in children in accordance with this Part. (b) Repealed by Session Laws 1998-209, s. 1. (1989, c. 333; c. 751, s. 15; 1991, c. 300, s. 1; 1997-506, s. 45; 1998-209, s. 1.)

G.S. 130A-131.6 Reserved for future codification purposes.

G.S. 130A-131.7 Definitions.

§ 130A-131.7. Definitions. The following definitions apply in this Part: (1) "Abatement" means undertaking any of the following measures to eliminate a lead-based paint hazard: a. Removing lead-based paint from a surface and repainting the surface. b. Removing a component, such as a windowsill, painted with lead-based paint and replacing the component. c. Enclosing a surface painted with lead-based paint with paneling, vinyl siding, or another approved material. d. Encapsulating a surface painted with lead-based paint with a sealant. e. Any other measure approved by the Commission. (2) "Child-occupied facility" means a building, or portion of a building, constructed before 1978, regularly visited by a child who is less than six years of age. Child-occupied facilities may include, but are not limited to, child care facilities, preschools, nurseries, kindergarten classrooms, schools, clinics, or treatment centers including the common areas, the grounds, any outbuildings, or other structures appurtenant to the facility. (3) "Confirmed lead poisoning" means a blood lead concentration of 10 micrograms per deciliter or greater determined by the lower of two consecutive blood tests within a 12-month period. (4) "Department" means the Department of Health and Human Services or its authorized agent. (5) "Elevated blood lead level" means a blood lead concentration of five micrograms per deciliter or greater determined by the lower of two consecutive blood tests within a 12-month period. (6) "Lead-based paint hazard" means a condition that is likely to result in exposure to lead-based paint or to soil or dust that contains lead at a concentration that constitutes a lead poisoning hazard. (7) "Lead poisoning hazard" means any of the following: a. Any lead-based paint or other substance that contains lead in an amount equal to or greater than 1.0 milligrams lead per square centimeter as determined by X-ray fluorescence or five-tenths of a percent (0.5%) lead by weight as determined by chemical analysis: (i) on any readily accessible substance or chewable surface on which there is evidence of teeth marks or mouthing; or (ii) on any other deteriorated or otherwise damaged interior or exterior surface. b. Any substance that contains lead intended for use by children less than six years of age in an amount equal to or greater than 0.06 percent (0.06%) lead by weight as determined by chemical analysis. c. Any concentration of lead dust that is equal to or greater than 10 micrograms per square foot on floors, 100 micrograms per square foot on interior windowsills, or 250 micrograms per square foot on vinyl miniblinds, bathtubs, kitchen sinks, or lavatories. d. Any lead-based paint or other substance that contains lead on a friction or impact surface that is subject to abrasion, rubbing, binding, or damage by repeated contact and where the lead dust concentrations on the nearest horizontal surface underneath the friction or impact surface are equal to or greater than 40 micrograms per square foot on floors or 250 micrograms per square foot on interior windowsills. e. Any concentration of lead in bare soil in play areas, gardens, pet sleeping areas, and areas within three feet of a residential housing unit or child-occupied facility equal to or greater than 400 parts per million. Any concentration of lead in bare soil in other locations of the yard equal to or greater than 1,200 parts per million. f. Any ceramic ware generating equal to or greater than three micrograms of lead per milliliter of leaching solution for flatware or 0.5 micrograms of lead per milliliter for cups, mugs, and pitchers as determined by Method 973.32 of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. g. Any concentration of lead in drinking water equal to or greater than 10 parts per billion. (8) "Lead-safe housing" is housing that was built since 1978 or has been tested by a person that has been certified to perform risk assessments and found to have no lead-based paint hazard within the meaning of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Reduction Act of 1992, 42 U.S.C. § 4851b(15). (9) "Maintenance standard" means the following: a. Using safe work practices, repairing and repainting areas of deteriorated paint inside a residential housing unit and for single-family and duplex residential dwelling built before 1950, repairing and repainting areas of deteriorated paint on interior and exterior surfaces; b. Cleaning the interior of the unit to remove dust that constitutes a lead poisoning hazard; c. Adjusting doors and windows to minimize friction or impact on surfaces; d. Subject to the occupant's approval, appropriately cleaning any carpets; e. Taking such steps as are necessary to ensure that all interior surfaces on which dust might collect are readily cleanable; and f. Providing the occupant or occupants all information required to be provided under the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, and amendments thereto. (10) "Managing agent" means any person who has charge, care, or control of a building or part thereof in which dwelling units or rooming units are leased. (11), (12) Repealed by Session Laws 2003-150, s. 1, effective July 1, 2003. (13) "Readily accessible substance" means any substance that can be ingested or inhaled by a child less than six years of age or by a pregnant woman. Readily accessible substances include deteriorated paint that is peeling, chipping, cracking, flaking, or blistering to the extent that the paint has separated from the substrate. Readily accessible substances also include soil, water, toys, vinyl miniblinds, bathtubs, lavatories, doors, door jambs, stairs, stair rails, windows, interior windowsills, baseboards, and paint that is chalking. (14) "Regularly visits" means the presence at a residential housing unit or child-occupied facility on at least two different days within any week, provided that each day's visit lasts at least three hours and the combined weekly visits last at least six hours, and the combined annual visits last at least 60 hours. (15) "Remediation" means the elimination or control of lead poisoning hazards by methods approved by the Department. (16) "Residential housing unit" means a dwelling, dwelling unit, or other structure, all or part of which is designed or used for human habitation, including the common areas, the grounds, any outbuildings, or other structures appurtenant to the residential housing unit. (17) "Supplemental address" means a residential housing unit or child-occupied facility where a child with confirmed lead poisoning regularly visits or attends. Supplemental address also means a residential housing unit or child-occupied facility where a child resided, regularly visited, or attended within the six months immediately preceding the determination of confirmed lead poisoning. (1997-443, ss. 11A.123, 15.30(b); 1998-209, s. 2; 2003-150, s. 1; 2015-241, s. 14.30(u); 2017-57, s. 11E.6(b); 2021-69, s. 1; 2022-75, s. 6(a).)

G.S. 130A-131.8 Laboratory reports.

§ 130A-131.8. Laboratory reports. (a) All laboratories doing business in this State shall report to the Department all environmental lead test results and blood lead test results for children less than six years of age and for individuals whose ages are unknown at the time of testing. Reports shall be made by electronic submission within five working days after test completion. (b) Reports of blood lead test results shall contain all of the following: (1) The child's full name, date of birth, sex, race, ethnicity, address, and Medicaid number, if any. (2) The name, address, and telephone number of the requesting health care provider. (3) The name, address, and telephone number of the testing laboratory. (4) The laboratory results, whether the specimen type is venous or capillary; the laboratory sample number, and the dates the sample was collected and analyzed. (c) Reports of environmental lead test results shall contain all of the following: (1) The address where the samples were collected. (2) Sample type, such as dust, paint, soil, or water. (3) Surface type, such as floor, window sill, or window trough. (4) Collection location. (5) The name, address, and telephone number of the testing laboratory. (6) The laboratory results, unit of measurement, the laboratory sample number, and the dates the sample was collected and analyzed. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b); 2003-150, s. 2; 2009-484, s. 1.)

G.S. 130A-131.9 Examination and testing.

§ 130A-131.9. Examination and testing. When the Department has a reasonable suspicion that a child less than six years of age has an elevated blood lead level or a confirmed lead poisoning, the Department may require that child to be examined and tested within 30 days. The Department shall require from the owner, managing agent, or tenant of the residential housing unit or child-occupied facility information on each child who resides in, regularly visits, or attends, or, who has within the past six months, resided in, regularly visited, or attended the unit or facility. The information required shall include each child's name and date of birth, the names and addresses of each child's parents, legal guardian, or full-time custodian. The owner, managing agent, or tenant shall submit the required information within 10 days of receipt of the request from the Department. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b); 2003-150, s. 3.)

G.S. 130A-131.9A Investigation to identify lead poisoning hazards.

§ 130A-131.9A. Investigation to identify lead poisoning hazards. (a) When the Department learns of confirmed lead poisoning, the Department shall conduct an investigation to identify the lead poisoning hazards to children and pregnant women. The Department shall investigate the residential housing unit where the child or pregnant woman with confirmed lead poisoning resides. The Department shall also investigate the supplemental addresses of the child or pregnant woman who has confirmed lead poisoning. (a1) When the Department learns of an elevated blood lead level, the Department shall, upon informed consent, investigate the residential housing unit where the child or pregnant woman with the elevated blood level resides. When consent to investigate is denied, the child or pregnant woman with the elevated blood lead level cannot be located, or the child's parent or guardian fails to respond, the Department shall document the denial of consent, inability to locate, or failure to respond. (b) The Department shall also conduct an investigation when it reasonably suspects that a lead poisoning hazard to children or pregnant women exists in a residential housing unit or child-occupied facility occupied, regularly visited, or attended by a child less than six years of age or a pregnant woman. (c) In conducting an investigation, the Department may take samples of surface materials, or other materials suspected of containing lead, for analysis and testing. If samples are taken, chemical determination of the lead content of the samples shall be by atomic absorption spectroscopy or equivalent methods approved by the Department. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b); 2003-150, s. 4; 2017-57, s. 11E.6(c).)

G.S. 130A-131.9B Notification.

§ 130A-131.9B. Notification. Upon determination that a lead poisoning hazard exists, the Department shall give written notice of the lead poisoning hazard to the owner or managing agent of the residential housing unit or child-occupied facility and to all persons residing in, attending, or regularly visiting the unit or facility. The written notice to the owner or managing agent shall include a list of possible methods of remediation. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b); 2003-150, s. 5.)

G.S. 130A-131.9C Abatement and remediation.

§ 130A-131.9C. Abatement and remediation. (a) Upon determination that a child less than six years of age or a pregnant woman has a confirmed lead poisoning of 10 micrograms per deciliter or greater and that child or pregnant woman resides in a residential housing unit containing lead poisoning hazards, the Department shall require remediation of the lead poisoning hazards. The Department shall also require remediation of the lead poisoning hazards identified at the supplemental addresses of a child less than six years of age or a pregnant woman with a confirmed lead poisoning of 10 micrograms per deciliter or greater. (b) When remediation of lead poisoning hazards is required under subsection (a) of this section, the owner or managing agent shall submit a written remediation plan to the Department within 14 days of receipt of the lead poisoning hazard notification and shall obtain written approval of the plan before initiating remediation activities. The remediation plan shall comply with subsections (g), (h), and (i) of this section. (c) If the remediation plan submitted fails to meet the requirements of this section, the Department shall issue an order requiring submission of a modified plan. The order shall indicate the modifications that shall be made to the remediation plan and the date that the plan as modified shall be submitted to the Department. (d) If the owner or managing agent does not submit a remediation plan within 14 days, the Department shall issue an order requiring submission of a remediation plan within five days of receipt of the order. (e) The owner or managing agent shall notify the Department and the occupants of the dates of remediation activities at least three days before commencement of the activities. (f) Remediation of the lead poisoning hazards shall be completed within 60 days of the Department's approval of the remediation plan. If the remediation activities are not completed within 60 days, the Department shall issue an order requiring completion of the activities. An owner or managing agent may apply to the Department for an extension of the deadline. The Department may issue an order extending the deadline for 30 days upon proper written application by the owner or managing agent. (g) All of the following methods of remediation of lead-based paint hazards are prohibited: (1) Stripping paint on-site with methylene chloride-based solutions. (2) Torch or flame burning. (3) Heating paint with a heat gun above 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. (4) Covering with new paint or wallpaper unless all readily accessible lead-based paint has been removed. (5) Uncontrolled abrasive blasting, machine sanding, or grinding, except when used with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) exhaust control that removes particles of 0.3 microns or larger from the air at ninety-nine and seven-tenths percent (99.7%) or greater efficiency. (6) Uncontrolled waterblasting. (7) Dry scraping, unless used in conjunction with heat guns, or around electrical outlets, or when treating no more than two square feet on interior surfaces, or no more than 20 square feet on exterior surfaces. (h) All lead-containing waste and residue shall be removed and disposed of in accordance with applicable federal, State, and local laws and rules. Other substances containing lead that are intended for use by children less than six years of age or pregnant women and vinyl miniblinds that constitute a lead poisoning hazard shall be removed and disposed of in accordance with applicable federal, State, and local laws and rules. (i) All remediation plans shall require that the lead poisoning hazards be reduced to the following levels: (1) Less than 10 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on floors. (2) Less than 100 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on interior windowsills. (2a) Less than 250 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on vinyl miniblinds, bathtubs, kitchen sinks, and lavatories. (3) Less than 400 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on window troughs. (4) Less than 400 parts per million for lead in bare soil in play areas, gardens, pet sleeping areas, and areas within three feet of the residential housing unit or child-occupied facility. Lead in bare soil in other locations of the yard shall be reduced to less than 1,200 parts per million. (5) Less than 10 parts per billion for lead in drinking water. (j) The Department shall verify by visual inspection that the approved remediation plan has been completed. The Department may also verify plan completion by residual lead dust monitoring and soil or drinking water lead level measurement. (j1) Compliance with the maintenance standard satisfies the remediation requirements for confirmed lead poisoning cases identified on or after 1 October 1990 as long as all lead poisoning hazards identified on interior and exterior surfaces are addressed by remediation. Except for owner-occupied residential housing units, continued compliance shall be verified by means of an annual monitoring inspection conducted by the Department. For owner-occupied residential housing units, continued compliance shall be verified (i) by means of an annual monitoring inspection, (ii) by documentation that no child less than six years of age and no pregnant woman has resided in or regularly visited the residential housing unit within the past year, or (iii) by documentation that no child less than six years of age and no pregnant woman residing in or regularly visiting the unit has an elevated blood lead level. (k) Removal of children or pregnant women from the residential housing unit or removal of children from the child-occupied facility shall not constitute remediation if the property continues to be used for a residential housing unit or child-occupied facility. The remediation requirements imposed in subsection (a) of this section apply so long as the property continues to be used as a residential housing unit or child-occupied facility. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b); 1998-209, s. 3; 2003-150, s. 6; 2017-57, s. 11E.6(d); 2021-69, s. 2; 2022-75, s. 6(b).)

G.S. 130A-131.9D Effect of compliance with maintenance standard.

§ 130A-131.9D. Effect of compliance with maintenance standard. Any owner of a residential housing unit constructed prior to 1978 who is sued by a current or former occupant seeking damages for injuries allegedly arising from exposure to lead-based paint or lead-contaminated dust, shall not be deemed liable (i) for any injuries sustained by that occupant after the owner first complied with the maintenance standard defined under G.S. 130A-131.7 provided the owner has repeated the steps provided for in the maintenance standard annually for units in which children of less than six years of age have resided or regularly visited within the past year and obtained a certificate of compliance under G.S. 130A-131.9E annually during such occupancy; or (ii) if the owner is able to show by other documentation that compliance with the maintenance standard has been maintained during the period when the injuries were sustained; or (iii) if the owner is able to show that the unit was lead-safe housing containing no lead-based paint hazards during the period when the injuries were sustained. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b); 1998-209, s. 4.)

G.S. 130A-131.9E Certificate of evidence of compliance.

§ 130A-131.9E. Certificate of evidence of compliance. An owner of a unit who has complied with the maintenance standard may apply annually to the Department for a certificate of compliance. Upon presentation of acceptable proof of compliance, the Department shall provide to the owner a certificate evidencing compliance. The Department may issue a certificate based solely on information provided by the owner and may revoke the certificate upon showing that any of the information is erroneous or inadequate, or upon finding that the unit is no longer in compliance with the maintenance standard. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b).)

G.S. 130A-131.9F Discrimination in financing.

§ 130A-131.9F. Discrimination in financing. (a) No bank or financial institution in the business of lending money for the purchase, sale, construction, rehabilitation, improvement, or refinancing of real property of the lending of money secured by an interest in real property may refuse to make such loans merely because of the presence of lead-based paint on the residential real property or in the residential housing unit provided that the owner is in compliance with the maintenance standard and has obtained a certificate of compliance under G.S. 130A-131.9E annually. (b) Nothing in this section shall (i) require a financial institution to extend a loan or otherwise provide financial assistance if it is clearly evident that health-related issues, other than those related to lead-based paint, made occupancy of the housing accommodation an imminent threat to the health or safety of the occupant, or (ii) be construed to preclude a financial institution from considering the fair market value of the property which will secure the proposed loan. (c) Failure to meet the maintenance standard shall not be deemed a default under existing mortgages. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b).)

G.S. 130A-131.9G Resident responsibilities.

§ 130A-131.9G. Resident responsibilities. In any residential housing unit occupied by a child less than six years of age or a pregnant woman who has an elevated blood lead level of five micrograms per deciliter or greater, the Department shall advise, in writing, the owner or managing agent and the pregnant woman or the child's parents or legal guardian of the importance of carrying out routine cleaning activities in the units they occupy, own, or manage. The cleaning activities shall include all of the following: (1) Wiping clean all windowsills with a damp cloth or sponge at least weekly. (2) Regularly washing all surfaces accessible to children. (3) In the case of a leased residential housing unit, identifying any deteriorated paint in the unit and notifying the owner or managing agent of the conditions within 72 hours of discovery. (4) Identifying and understanding potential lead poisoning hazards in the environment of each child less than six years of age and each pregnant woman in the unit (including toys, vinyl miniblinds, playground equipment, drinking water, soil, and painted surfaces), and taking steps to prevent children and pregnant women from ingesting lead such as encouraging children and pregnant women to wash their faces and hands frequently and especially after playing outdoors. (1997-443, s. 15.30(b); 2003-150, s. 7; 2017-57, s. 11E.6(e).)

G.S. 130A-131.9H Application fees for certificates of compliance.

§ 130A-131.9H. Application fees for certificates of compliance. The Department shall collect an application fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for each certificate of compliance. Fee receipts shall be used to support the program that is developed to implement this Part. Fee receipts also may be used to provide for relocation and medical expenses incurred by children with confirmed lead poisoning. (1998-209, s. 5.)

G.S. 130A-131.10 Manner of disposition of remains of pregnancies.

§ 130A-131.10. Manner of disposition of remains of pregnancies. (a) The Commission for Public Health shall adopt rules to ensure that all facilities authorized to terminate pregnancies, and all medical or research laboratories or facilities to which the remains of terminated pregnancies are sent shall dispose of the remains in a manner limited to burial, cremation, or, except as prohibited by subsection (b) of this section, approved hospital type of incineration. (b) A hospital or other medical facility or a medical or research laboratory or facility shall dispose of the remains of a recognizable fetus only by burial or cremation. The Commission shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. (c) Repealed by Session Laws 2015-265, s. 1, effective October 1, 2015, and applicable to offenses committed on or after that date. (d) This section does not impose liability on a permitted medical waste treatment facility for a hospital's or other medical facility's violation of this section nor does it impose any additional duty on the treatment facility to inspect waste received from the hospital or medical facility to determine compliance with this section. (e) Nothing in this section shall prevent the mother from donating the remains of her unborn child after a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage to a research facility for research or from acquiring the remains of the unborn child after a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage. The mother's informed written consent to allow research to be conducted upon the remains of the unborn child after a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage must be obtained prior to the donation and must be separate from any other prior consent. (f) Nothing in this section shall prevent the performance of autopsies performed according to law, or any pathological examinations, chromosomal analyses, cultures, or any other examinations deemed necessary by attending pathologists or treating physicians for diagnostic purposes. (1989, c. 85; 1997-517, s. 4; 2007-182, s. 2; 2015-265, s. 1.)

G.S. 130A-131.15A Department to establish program.

§ 130A-131.15A. Department to establish program. (a) The Department shall establish and administer Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives. The Department shall establish initiatives for primary prevention, secondary prevention, and special projects. (b) The Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section. The rules shall include a maximum annual funding level for initiatives and a requirement for local match. (c) Initiatives shall be funded in accordance with selection criteria established by the Commission. In funding initiatives, the Department shall target counties with the highest teen pregnancy rates, increasingly higher rates, high rates within demographic subgroups, or greatest need for parenting programs. Grants shall be awarded on an annual basis. (d) Initiatives shall be funded on a four-year funding cycle. The Department may end funding prior to the end of the four-year period if programmatic requirements and performance standards are not met. At the end of four years of funding, a local initiative shall be eligible to reapply for funding. (e) Administrative costs in implementing this section shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total funds administered pursuant to this section. (f) Programs are not required to provide a cash match for these funds; however, the Department may require an in-kind match. (g) The Department shall periodically evaluate the effectiveness of teen pregnancy prevention programs. (h) The Department's use of State funds for initiatives and projects authorized under this section shall not include the allocation of funds to renew or extend existing contracts or enter into new contracts for the provision of family planning services, pregnancy prevention activities, or adolescent parenting programs with any provider that performs abortions. (2001-424, s. 21.89(c); 2015-265, s. 3.)

G.S. 130A-131.16 Birth defects monitoring program established; definitions.

§ 130A-131.16. Birth defects monitoring program established; definitions. (a) The Birth Defects Monitoring Program is established within the State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics. The Birth Defects Monitoring Program shall compile, tabulate, and publish information related to the incidence and prevention of birth defects. (b) As used in this Part, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the term: (1) "Birth defect" means any physical, functional, or chemical abnormality present at birth that is of possible genetic or prenatal origin. (2) "Program" means the Birth Defects Monitoring Program established under this Part. (c) Physicians and persons in charge of licensed medical facilities shall, upon request, permit staff of the Program to examine, review, and obtain a copy of any medical record in their possession or under their control that pertains to a diagnosed or suspected birth defect, including the records of the mother. (d) A physician or person in charge of a licensed medical facility who permits examination, review, or copying of medical records pursuant to this section shall be immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed for providing access to these medical records based upon invasion of privacy or breach of physician-patient confidentiality. (1995, c. 268, s. 1.)

G.S. 130A-131.17 Confidentiality of information; research.

§ 130A-131.17. Confidentiality of information; research. (a) All information collected and analyzed by the Program pursuant to this Part shall be confidential insofar as the identity of the individual patient is concerned. This information shall not be considered public record open to inspection. Access to the information shall be limited to Program staff authorized by the Director of the State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics. The Director of the State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics may also authorize access to this information to persons engaged in demographic, epidemiological, or other similar scientific studies related to health. The Commission shall adopt rules that establish strict criteria for the use of monitoring Program information for scientific research. All persons given authorized access to Program information shall agree, in writing, to maintain confidentiality. (b) All scientific research proposed to be conducted by persons other than authorized Program staff using the information from the Program, shall first be reviewed and approved by the Director of the State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics and an appropriate committee for the protection of human subjects which is approved by the United States Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to Part 46 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Satisfaction of the terms of the Commission's rules for data access shall entitle the researcher to obtain information from the Program and, if part of the research protocol, to contact case subjects. (c) Whenever authorized Program staff propose a research protocol that includes contacting case subjects, the Director of the State Center for Health and Environmental Statistics shall submit a protocol describing the research to the State Health Director and to an appropriate committee for the protection of human subjects which is approved by the United States Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to Part 46 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations. If and when the protocol is approved by the committee and by the State Health Director pursuant to the rules of the Commission, then Program staff shall be entitled to complete the approved project and to contact case subjects. (d) The Program shall maintain a record of all persons who are given access to the information in the system. The record shall include the following: (1) The name of the person authorizing access; (2) The name, title, and organizational affiliation of persons given access; (3) The dates of access; and (4) The specific purposes for which information is to be used. The record required under this subsection shall be open to public inspection during normal operating hours. (e) Nothing in this section prohibits the Program from publishing statistical compilations relating to birth defects that do not in any way identify individual patients. (1995, c. 268, s. 1.)

G.S. 130A-131.25 Office of Women's Health established.

§ 130A-131.25. Office of Women's Health established. (a) There is established in the Department the Office of Women's Health. The purpose of the office is to expand the State's public health concerns and focus to include a comprehensive outlook on the overall health status of women. The primary goals of the Office shall be the prevention of disease and improvement in the quality of life for women over their entire lifespan. The Department shall develop strategies for achieving these goals, which shall include but not be limited to: (1) Developing a strategic plan to improve public services and programs targeting women; (2) Conducting policy analyses on specific issues related to women's health; (3) Facilitating communication among the Department's programs and between the Department and external women's health groups and community-based organizations; (4) Building public health awareness and capacity regarding women's health issues by providing a series of services including evaluation, recommendation, technical assistance, and training; and (5) Developing initiatives for modification or expansion of women-oriented services with the intent of establishing meaningful public/private partnerships in the future. (b) The Office shall study the feasibility of establishing initiatives for: (1) Early intervention services for women infected with HIV; and (2) Outreach, treatment, and follow-up services to women at high risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases. In conducting the study the Department shall take into consideration related services already in place in the Department and at the local level. (1997-172, s. 2.)

G.S. 130A-131.30 Healthy Out-of-School Program established.

§ 130A-131.30. Healthy Out-of-School Program established. There is created the "Healthy Out-of-School Time (HOST) Recognition Program" to be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, in collaboration with the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs based in the Public School Forum. (2016-94, s. 12E.2(a).)

G.S. 130A-131.31 Definitions.

§ 130A-131.31. Definitions. The following definitions shall apply in this Part: (1) Department. - The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. (2) HEPA Standards. - The National Institute on Out-of-School Time Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards. (3) Out-of-school time program. - Any nonlicensed program provided to children and youth ages 17 and under that is currently exempt from G.S. 110-91 or any other qualified out-of-school time programs that serve school-age children outside of regular school hours, including before school and on weekends. (4) Program attendee. - A person enrolled in an exempt out-of-school time program. (5) Screen time. - Time spent viewing or working on television, videos, computers, or handheld devices, with or without internet access. (2016-94, s. 12E.2(b); 2025-25, s. 29(3).)

G.S. 130A-131.32 Program development.

§ 130A-131.32. Program development. (a) The Department shall develop a process, to be administered on its website, for an out-of-school time program to be recognized as a program that meets the HEPA Standards as outlined in this section. The website shall include all resources and links that an out-of-school time program may use to meet the requirements of this section. Programs being recognized shall demonstrate consistency and implementation of HEPA standards. (b) The Department shall develop and implement a process for providing minimal verification of self-assessments submitted by out-of-school time programs applying for recognition, which may include a site visit or other form of review. At a minimum, the Department shall review a random sample of program self-assessments within 30 to 60 days of receipt of the assessments. (c) Periodically, or at least once every five years, the Department shall review, and if necessary, revise and update the program standards to reflect advancements in nutrition science, dietary data, and physical activity standards to ensure consistency with nationally recognized guidelines for out-of-school time programs. (2016-94, s. 12E.2(c); 2025-25, s. 29(5).)

G.S. 130A-131.33 Certificate; program information.

§ 130A-131.33. Certificate; program information. (a) The Department shall provide a certificate to out-of-school time programs that demonstrate that the program meets HEPA standards. If the out-of-school time program is located on a school site, the out-of-school time program shall communicate with the school regarding nutrition education and physical activity, as appropriate, to provide the program attendees with a complete educational experience. All activities shall also adhere to the local school administrative unit's wellness policy, as appropriate. (b) The Department shall have information about the program available for review by a parent at both the physical location of the out-of-school time program and on the program's website, if applicable. The Department shall require that the out-of-school time program maintain in its records a document signed by all parents acknowledging that they are aware of the HOST Recognition Program requirements and policies to institute and reinforce these specific healthy behaviors for all children served in the out-of-school time program. (2016-94, s. 12E.2(d); 2025-25, s. 29(5).)

G.S. 130A-131.34 Certificate renewal.

§ 130A-131.34. Certificate renewal. A certificate issued under this Part shall be valid for one calendar year. An out-of-school time program that wishes to create a new certificate for the subsequent year shall, by January 1 of the following year and thereafter, verify with the Department that the out-of-school time program continues to follow the HOST Recognition Program criteria established in accordance with G.S. 130A-131.33. (2016-94, s. 12E.2(e).)

G.S. 130A-131.35 List of programs.

§ 130A-131.35. List of programs. The Department shall maintain and update a list of out-of-school time programs that qualify under the provisions of this Part and shall post that list on its website, including the date of qualification for each program. (2016-94, s. 12E.2(f); 2025-25, s. 29(5).)

Source: North Carolina General Assembly (ncleg.gov)URL: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_130A.htmlFetched: 10/19/2026