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HB 696NORTH CAROLINASession 2025State Billpassed both
Passed

North Carolina Enacts Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act Requiring Clear Credential Disclosure in Advertising

Original title: Medicaid & HHS Adjust./Other Critical Needs.

Last action · April 30, 2026: Ch. SL 2026-1Sponsors: Larry Potts and 4 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Would Do

North Carolina establishes the Health Care Practitioner Transparency Act, requiring licensed healthcare professionals to explicitly state their license, certification, or registration type in all s and representations starting October 1, 2025. The measure prohibits unlicensed individuals from using physician-related titles such as surgeon, M.D., or cardiologist, and subjects violators to disciplinary action for unprofessional conduct.

Why it matters

Licensed healthcare practitioners across North Carolina must modify all marketing materials, business cards, and digital communications to display their precise credential type, while unlicensed personnel face professional restrictions and potential licensing board discipline for using medical titles.

Background
  • The North Carolina General Assembly enacts state laws and regulates professional licensing standards across various sectors including healthcare. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

North Carolina healthcare practitioners

Practitioners must update all marketing and advertising materials to display their precise license or certification type and face disciplinary review for noncompliance.

Directly affected

North Carolina licensing boards

Fifteen designated state boards must adopt temporary rules to implement the transparency act and handle enforcement actions.

Key Facts

  • Advertisements for healthcare services naming a practitioner must identify their specific type of license, certification, or registration.
  • Unlicensed individuals are strictly prohibited from using physician titles such as 'surgeon,' 'M.D.,' 'cardiologist,' or 'pediatrician.'
  • Practitioners who knowingly aid unlicensed individuals or fail to comply with the act are guilty of unprofessional conduct subject to disciplinary action.
  • Each day of noncompliance constitutes a separate and distinct violation for the practitioner.
Show all 8 facts
  • Practitioners working across multiple offices must comply with the requirements in every practice setting.
  • Practitioners working entirely in non-patient settings without direct patient interactions are exempt from the act.
  • Fifteen specific North Carolina licensing boards are mandated to adopt temporary rules to implement the act prior to permanent rules taking effect.
  • The act becomes effective on October 1, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information must now appear in healthcare advertising?
Any naming a healthcare practitioner must clearly identify the type of license, certification, or registration held by that practitioner.
Who is exempt from the transparency requirements?
Healthcare practitioners who work exclusively in non-patient settings and have no direct patient health care interactions are not subject to the article.
What happens if a practitioner violates these rules?
Violations are considered unprofessional conduct, which may subject the practitioner to disciplinary action by their licensing board, with each day of noncompliance counting as a separate violation.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently passed both. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

47 actions
  1. Apr 28, 2026House
    Ordered Enrolled
  2. Apr 28, 2026Senate
    Conf Report Adopted 3rd
  3. Apr 28, 2026House
    Conf Report Adopted 3rd
  4. Apr 22, 2026Senate
    Placed On Cal For 04/28/2026
  5. Apr 22, 2026Senate
    Conf Report Passed 2nd
  6. Apr 22, 2026House
    Placed On Cal For 04/28/2026
Show 41 earlier actions
  1. Apr 22, 2026House
    Conf Report Adopted 2nd
  2. Apr 21, 2026House
    Placed On Cal For 04/22/2026
  3. Apr 21, 2026House
    Ruled Material
  4. Apr 21, 2026House
    Conf Com Reported
  5. Apr 21, 2026Senate
    Placed On Cal For 04/22/2026
  6. Apr 21, 2026Senate
    Held As Material
  7. Apr 21, 2026Senate
    Conf Com Reported
  8. Apr 21, 2026House
    Conferees Changed
  9. Jun 25, 2025Senate
    Conf Com Appointed
  10. Jun 24, 2025House
    Conf Com Appointed
  11. Jun 24, 2025House
    Failed Concur In S Com Sub
  12. Jun 24, 2025House
    Added to Calendar
  13. Jun 24, 2025House
    Withdrawn From Com
  14. Jun 23, 2025House
    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  15. Jun 23, 2025House
    Withdrawn From Cal
  16. Jun 19, 2025House
    Cal Pursuant 36(b)
  17. Jun 19, 2025House
    Special Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub
  18. Jun 19, 2025Senate
    Special Message Sent To House
  19. Jun 19, 2025Senate
    Passed 3rd Reading
  20. Jun 19, 2025Senate
    Passed 2nd Reading
  21. Jun 18, 2025Senate
    Reptd Fav
  22. Jun 17, 2025Senate
    Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
  23. Jun 17, 2025Senate
    Com Substitute Adopted
  24. Jun 17, 2025Senate
    Reptd Fav Com Substitute
  25. May 27, 2025Senate
    Re-ref to Health Care. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate
  26. May 27, 2025Senate
    Withdrawn From Com
  27. May 7, 2025Senate
    Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
  28. May 7, 2025Senate
    Passed 1st Reading
  29. May 7, 2025Senate
    Regular Message Received From House
  30. May 7, 2025House
    Regular Message Sent To Senate
  31. May 6, 2025House
    Passed 3rd Reading
  32. May 6, 2025House
    Passed 2nd Reading
  33. May 5, 2025House
    Placed On Cal For 05/06/2025
  34. May 5, 2025House
    Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
  35. May 5, 2025House
    Reptd Fav
  36. Apr 30, 2025House
    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  37. Apr 30, 2025House
    Serial Referral To Regulatory Reform Stricken
  38. Apr 30, 2025House
    Reptd Fav Com Substitute
  39. Apr 3, 2025House
    Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Regulatory Reform, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  40. Apr 3, 2025House
    Passed 1st Reading
  41. Apr 2, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Larry PottsHouse · District 81RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Tim ReederHouse · District 9RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Grant CampbellHouse · District 83RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Cody HuneycuttHouse · District 67RepublicanCosponsor
Bill WardHouse · District 5RepublicanCosponsor

Connected Entities

North Carolina Respiratory Care Board, North Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board, North Carolina Board of Pharmacy and 13 more
OrganizationNorth Carolina Respiratory Care Board“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Board of Pharmacy“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationBoard of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Board of Nursing“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina State Board of Chiropractic Examiners“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationBoard of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Medical Board“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy“Board required to_adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationNorth Carolina Psychology Board“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationBoard of Podiatry Examiners for the State of North Carolina“Board required to adopt temporary rules”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly of North Carolina“Legislative body enacting the act”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.ncleg.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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