House Bill 120 appropriates recurring General Fund money to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, to expand the Project Caregiver Alternatives to Running on Empty (Project C.A.R.E.) program. The bill provides $2,073,847 in recurring funds for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same amount for fiscal year 2026-2027.
Project C.A.R.E. is a caregiver support program for family members caring for people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementias. By increasing funding, the bill is intended to broaden or strengthen services available to these caregivers, who often face high emotional, physical, and financial strain. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
The bill would increase state spending by adding recurring appropriations from the General Fund to DHHS for two consecutive fiscal years. It does not amend substantive eligibility rules or create a new program; instead, it expands an existing aging-services initiative administered by the Division of Aging and Adult Services. The primary affected parties are family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, along with the state agency responsible for delivering the program.
The available context suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, as reflected by the committee substitute being reported favorably before the measure was re-referred to Appropriations. No recorded floor votes or committee transcript debate are available, so there is no evidence of organized opposition in the provided materials. Overall, the bill appears to be viewed as a supportive funding measure for caregivers and dementia-related services.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided record. The main issue that could draw scrutiny is the recurring fiscal commitment of more than $2 million per year from the General Fund, since appropriations bills often raise budget-priority questions. Otherwise, the bill is narrowly focused on expanding caregiver support for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and no competing policy concerns are identified in the available materials.