House Bill 1193, the “Mike Clampitt Advocacy for Marrow Education and Registration Act” or “Clampitt Act,” establishes November as Marrow Donation Awareness Month in North Carolina. The bill is framed as a public-health and donor-recruitment measure intended to increase awareness of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donation, particularly for patients with blood cancers, sickle cell disease, and other conditions that may require transplants.
The bill also creates a new option for driver’s license applicants and renewals to indicate an intention to become a bone marrow donor. For individuals ages 18 to 40, the Division of Motor Vehicles would collect written consent and share identifying and contact information with the National Marrow Donor Program so the program can follow up and facilitate registration. The DMV and the Department of Health and Human Services would also be required to promote medically accurate public service announcements about marrow donation on their websites and at driver’s license offices.
In addition to the awareness and registration provisions, the bill appropriates $100,000 in nonrecurring General Fund money to the Department of Health and Human Services for a public awareness campaign during Marrow Donation Awareness Month. The DMV must adopt implementing rules by July 1, 2028, and the driver’s license-related provisions take effect on that date, while the rest of the act becomes effective July 1, 2026.
The bill’s impact on state law is to amend Chapter 103 to add a commemorative awareness month and to revise DMV procedures under G.S. 20-7.3 to include marrow donor registration outreach alongside existing organ, eye, and tissue donor information. It also creates a new state-funded communications campaign and directs coordination between DHHS, DMV, and the National Marrow Donor Program, affecting driver licensing operations, public health messaging, and the handling of personal information for prospective donors.
The available context shows generally favorable treatment, as reflected by the committee substitute being reported favorably, but there is no recorded floor debate or vote history in the provided materials. The main point of potential contention is the use of state resources and the sharing of applicants’ personal information with a private nonprofit registry, though the bill attempts to address privacy concerns by requiring written consent. The age limit of 18 to 40 for donor indication may also be a point of discussion because it narrows eligibility to the age range most relevant for marrow donation registration.
HB1193 would amend North Carolina law to designate November as Marrow Donation Awareness Month, require the DMV to offer marrow donor registration opportunities to eligible driver’s license applicants and renewals, and direct DHHS and DMV to distribute public service announcements about marrow donation. It also appropriates $100,000 in nonrecurring General Fund dollars for a DHHS awareness campaign and requires DMV rulemaking to implement the new registration process. The bill affects Chapter 103 and G.S. 20-7.3, and it creates a state-facilitated pathway for sharing consenting applicants’ information with the National Marrow Donor Program.
The bill appears to have a positive, pro-public-health sentiment in the available materials. Its findings emphasize lifesaving transplants, low donor burden, and the value of expanding registry participation, and the committee substitute was reported favorably. No opposing testimony or recorded votes are provided, so there is no evidence of organized opposition in the supplied record.
The most notable issues are privacy, administrative burden, and the use of public funds. The bill requires written consent before DMV applicants’ personal and contact information may be shared with the National Marrow Donor Program, which suggests sensitivity to data-sharing concerns. Some may also question whether the state should spend $100,000 on an awareness campaign and require DMV offices to display PSAs, while others may view those steps as necessary to increase donor registration. The age restriction to applicants ages 18 to 40 could also be debated, though it aligns with the typical donor recruitment focus for marrow registries.