House Bill 391 appropriates recurring state General Fund dollars to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, to expand Adult Protective Services (APS) staffing in county departments of social services. The bill directs funding for at least 25 additional APS workers in fiscal year 2025-26 and another 25 in fiscal year 2026-27, for a total of 50 new positions statewide. The added staff are intended to help counties investigate a growing volume of reports involving abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults.
The bill also establishes a county allocation process. DHHS, in consultation with the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services, must distribute the positions and associated funds to counties with the greatest need, based on factors such as APS caseloads, staffing needs, the local population age 65 and older, and the volume of elder abuse reports. Counties receiving the funds may use them only for salaries, benefits, and related expenses for the new APS workers, and may not use them to replace other funding sources. The act would take effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would create a new recurring state funding stream for APS staffing, shifting part of the financial burden for elder abuse investigations from counties to the state. It would not amend the underlying APS duties in Chapter 108A, but it would materially affect how county departments of social services staff and administer adult protective services by adding state-supported positions and directing DHHS to prioritize counties with the highest need.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have a strongly supportive tone based on its findings and stated purpose, which emphasize rising elder abuse reports, depleted federal block grant funding, and county staffing shortages. The available record shows no committee debate or votes, so there is no documented opposition in the provided materials. Overall, the measure is framed as a response to an urgent public welfare and workforce capacity problem affecting older adults.
Contention
The main policy issue embedded in the bill is funding responsibility: the bill responds to a system in which counties currently provide most APS funding, while the state contributes no dedicated APS funds. Potential points of contention would likely include the recurring General Fund cost, the formula for distributing positions among counties, and whether the state should take on a larger role in a service traditionally financed largely by counties and federal block grant dollars. Another possible concern is whether 50 additional workers is sufficient to address the growing caseload statewide.