House Bill 463, the First Responders Mental Health Plan Act, would create a new supplemental insurance program in the Department of Insurance for eligible first responders diagnosed with certain mental health conditions. The bill defines covered first responders broadly to include law enforcement officers, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, EMTs, detention officers, correctional and probation officers, and certain volunteer firefighters, including some employed by nongovernmental entities. It also defines eligible mental conditions to include medically diagnosed anxiety, conduct, depressive, obsessive-compulsive, sleep-wake, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders.
To qualify, a first responder must be currently employed, have a diagnosis tied to employment-related activities, and not be receiving workers’ compensation benefits for the same mental condition. The bill provides three main benefit types: reimbursement of up to $5,000 per year for out-of-pocket mental health treatment costs; a salary replacement benefit during medically necessary leave of up to 75% of monthly salary or $5,000 per month, for up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period; and a disability benefit for those whose condition prevents them from serving, generally up to 75% of salary or $5,000 per month for full-time responders, or $1,500 per month for volunteer firefighters, subject to a 36-month cap and offset by other disability payments.
The bill would amend Chapter 58 of the General Statutes by adding a new Article 86B and would place administration of the plan with the Department of Insurance. It would create a new state-law benefit structure specifically for mental health conditions arising from first responder duties, while coordinating with existing workers’ compensation and other disability systems. The act is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2026.
Because no committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, there is no documented debate or voting record to indicate formal support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears designed to support first responders’ mental health, encourage treatment, and facilitate return to work, suggesting a generally supportive policy intent. However, the bill’s cost, eligibility standards, benefit duration, and interaction with other benefit programs could be areas of concern for fiscal and administrative reasons, especially given the broad range of covered occupations and the state-administered insurance structure.
The bill would add a new Article 86B to Chapter 58 of the North Carolina General Statutes, creating a state-administered supplemental insurance program for qualifying first responders with specified mental health diagnoses. It would establish new benefit rights for medical expense reimbursement, temporary salary replacement, and long-term disability payments, while also limiting duplication with workers’ compensation and other disability sources. The Department of Insurance would be responsible for administering the plan, making the bill a direct expansion of state insurance law and a new statutory benefit framework for public safety personnel.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from debate or roll call. From the bill’s stated purpose and structure, the measure appears broadly sympathetic to first responders and their mental health needs, with an emphasis on treatment, recovery, and return to service. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials means any support or concern is not documented here.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or votes. Potential areas of dispute inherent in the bill include whether the state should create a new supplemental insurance program, how broadly to define eligible first responders, how to verify that a mental condition is work-related, how the benefits interact with workers’ compensation and other disability systems, and the fiscal impact of providing salary and disability benefits through the Department of Insurance. These issues would likely be the main subjects of concern for budget, insurance, and public safety stakeholders.