House Bill 399 would increase the maximum fees the North Carolina Board of Nursing may charge for a range of licensure-related services. The bill raises fees for registered nurse and licensed practical nurse applications by examination and endorsement, re-examinations, renewals, reinstatements, retired-status applications, and reinstatement from retired status. It also preserves the Board’s authority to charge reasonable duplication costs and to assess disciplinary costs against nurses found in violation of the Nursing Practice Act.
The bill amends the Board’s fee statute, G.S. 90-171.27, by roughly doubling many of the listed fee caps and by keeping the Board financially self-supported through fee revenue rather than state treasury funds. It also limits annual increases for any listed fee to no more than 20 percent and authorizes the Board to adopt temporary rules to implement the act. The changes would apply beginning October 1, 2025, to applications, renewals, and reinstatements filed on or after that date.
HB399 would directly affect the North Carolina Board of Nursing, applicants for nursing licensure, current registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, and nurses seeking renewal, reinstatement, or retired status. By increasing statutory fee caps, the bill would allow the Board to collect more revenue to cover its operating expenses and disciplinary enforcement costs, while leaving the Board outside the state treasury funding structure. The bill amends G.S. 90-171.27 and would take effect October 1, 2025, with temporary rulemaking authority to support implementation.
Based on the bill text and available legislative history, the measure appears to be a routine administrative and fiscal proposal rather than a highly controversial policy change. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition. The bill’s framing suggests support for maintaining the Board’s financial capacity to regulate nursing licensure and discipline.
The main potential point of contention is the higher cost to nurses and applicants, especially those seeking initial licensure, endorsement, renewal, reinstatement, or retired-status changes. Stakeholders concerned about affordability for new entrants, lower-paid nurses, or those returning to practice may question the size of the increases. On the other hand, the Board’s need for sufficient fee revenue to fund regulation and disciplinary oversight is the principal justification for the bill, and no specific opposing arguments are documented in the provided record.