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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate2026-06-11

Vote Breakdown

Plain Language Summary

This bill modifies North Carolina's laws regarding three types of advance health care planning documents: health care powers of attorney, living wills (advance directives), and advance instructions for mental health treatment. The main changes simplify how these documents are executed, allow them to be combined into single documents, and update who can make health care decisions on behalf of patients who lack capacity and have no advance directives in place.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill makes it easier for North Carolinians to plan for their future medical care by streamlining execution requirements—allowing documents to be witnessed or notarized rather than requiring both—and allowing all three document types to be combined.
• •The bill also expands the list of people who can make medical decisions for incapacitated patients without advance directives, including long-term partners and those who provide supported decision-making, ensuring more voices are heard when family members are unavailable.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may worry that simplifying execution requirements could lead to documents being created without proper deliberation or legal safeguards, potentially affecting vulnerable populations.
• •Some might question whether expanding decision-makers for incapacitated patients without advance directives could create confusion or conflicting guidance about patient wishes, and whether combining multiple document types in one form could lead to ambiguity or disputes about which instructions apply in specific situations.