North Carolina Black Alliance Supports APRNs Bill
April 20, 2026
RALEIGH, N.C. – As legislators return to Raleigh to kick off the 2026 short session, a bill granting Full Practice Authority to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses continues to gain momentum. North Carolina Black Alliance (NCBA) is the latest organization to support APRN Definitions (H514/S537). NCBA is a 501(c)(3) working to enhance the well-being and advancement of Black communities across the state; they join a wide array of advocacy groups seeking to increase access to quality healthcare while reducing costs through H514/S537.
“The North Carolina Black Alliance supports the APRN Definitions legislation as a critical step toward expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare across our state,” said Karida Giddings, the Access to Healthcare Program Manager for NCBA. “With over 628,000 North Carolinians benefitting from Medicaid expansion but too few providers to serve them, this legislation helps close a gap that disproportionately burdens Black communities and other communities of color. By expanding the role of Certified Nurse Midwives and other Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, this policy creates a pathway to more timely, community-based care—including maternal and reproductive health services in rural and underserved areas where Black women face disproportionate risk—and where expanded access to Certified Nurse Midwives could be a meaningful part of the solution. As implementation moves forward, we remain committed to ensuring these changes translate into equitable access and improved health outcomes for those most impacted by longstanding disparities.”
APRN Definitions was introduced in March 2025 with broad bipartisan support. The legislation could save North Carolina more than $900 million per year, according to research from Dr. Chris Conover, a former Duke healthcare economist1.
Studies have overwhelmingly shown that granting APRNs Full Practice Authority can increase access and rein in healthcare costs, while maintaining high quality care2, 3, 4. At least 27 other states have already passed similar legislation to APRN Definitions5 – and, importantly, none of those states has subsequently opted to reverse course.
“This works. We know it. Outdated and unnecessary barriers on APRNs are a heavy weight on North Carolina healthcare, and it is long past time for the state to begin maximizing its APRN workforce,” said NCNA President Bonnie Davis Meadows, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG. “Most of the regulations we’re trying to address here were written more than 40 years ago. Healthcare has evolved tremendously, but our APRN workforce is still stuck in the 1980s.”
The physicians’ lobby is the only known opponent to APRN Definitions. NCBA joins a broad, unofficial coalitions of 29 organizations outside the nursing profession that have endorsed Full Practice Authority for APRNs:
|
|
NCNA strongly encourages legislators to pass H514/S537 as North Carolina faces uncertainty around Medicaid expansion, ballooning healthcare costs, and a worsening shortage of providers, especially in rural and underserved areas. For more information about this important issue, visit https://ncfpa.info/ ›
1 https://www.ncnurses.org/advocacy/legislative/aprn-full-practice-authority/savings-estimate-for-full-practice-authority/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209880/
3 https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/HMD-HCS-18-11/publication/25982
4 https://x.com/NCNA/status/1660632269978062849
5 https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/state/state-practice-environment
MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Cowperthwaite, CAE, APR
Director of Communications & Outreach
(919) 821-4250 or chriscowperthwaite@ncnurses.org.
ABOUT NCNA
As the leading professional organization for North Carolina’s registered nurses, we equip nurses at all stages to thrive in an ever-changing healthcare environment. NCNA helps keep North Carolina nurses on the cutting edge of nursing practice, policy, education, and more. Join us as we work to advance nursing and ensure high-quality healthcare for everyone.
Established in 1902, NCNA provides continuing education, networking and legislative advocacy for registered nurses throughout North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.ncnurses.org.
MISSION STATEMENT
The North Carolina Nurses Association serves the changing needs of its members, addresses nursing issues, and advocates for the health and well-being of all people.
