Senate Bill 415 creates a new North Carolina licensing framework for medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals, to be called the Patient Safety in Medical Imaging Act. It establishes a new Article in Chapter 90 governing radiologic technologists, radiation therapists, sonographers, nuclear medicine technologists, magnetic resonance technologists, radiologist assistants, and related specialties. The bill requires licensure for most people who perform or offer to perform medical imaging or radiation therapy procedures on humans, while preserving exemptions for licensed practitioners, certain dental personnel, students in supervised training, veterinarians, podiatrists, cadaver work, and some other limited categories.
The bill creates the Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Board of Examiners, a governor-appointed board that would set licensure standards, approve educational programs, establish scopes of practice, issue and renew licenses, collect fees, and discipline licensees. It sets education, certification, examination, renewal, reciprocity, and continuing education requirements for each modality, including a new requirement effective January 1, 2026, that computed tomography practitioners be certified in CT by an approved certification organization. It also authorizes temporary and provisional licenses, including for underserved areas and for cross-training, and makes violations of the article a Class 1 misdemeanor subject to injunction.
The bill would significantly change state law by replacing a largely voluntary or profession-based credentialing structure with mandatory state licensure for many imaging and radiation therapy roles. It also creates transition rules for current practitioners, allowing certain existing professionals to continue practicing if they register with the board by October 1, 2026, stay within their current scope, complete continuing education, and work under radiologist supervision. Initial board members in some categories are temporarily exempted from the new licensure requirements so the board can be formed and begin operating.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of patient safety, professional standards, and quality control. The stated legislative findings emphasize protection from harmful effects of improperly performed imaging and radiation therapy and argue that education, licensure, and examination will improve care. Because there were no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of opposition or support from lawmakers in the available context, but the structure of the bill suggests a policy preference for tighter regulation and formal credentialing.
The main points of potential contention are the new licensing mandate, the scope of the board’s authority, and the effect on current workers and employers. Existing practitioners without recognized certification may face new registration and continuing education obligations, and businesses would be prohibited from knowingly employing unlicensed personnel for covered procedures. There may also be concern about the misdemeanor penalty, the board’s power to define scopes of practice and approve educational programs, and whether the new requirements could limit workforce flexibility in rural or underserved areas, although the bill includes some temporary and remote-area accommodations.
The bill would amend Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes by adding a new Article 44 regulating medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. It would establish mandatory state licensure, create a new Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Board of Examiners, and authorize that board to set standards, approve programs, issue licenses, impose fees, and discipline practitioners. The bill would affect radiographers, sonographers, MRI technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, radiation therapists, radiologist assistants, and certain cardiac imaging specialists, while preserving specified exemptions and transitional practice provisions for some current workers.
The bill’s stated purpose and structure reflect a pro-patient-safety, pro-credentialing approach, with the General Assembly expressly finding that licensure and education standards will improve quality and reduce harm. No committee debate or vote record was provided, so there is no documented legislative opposition or support in the available materials. Based on the text alone, the measure appears designed to be protective and professionalizing rather than controversial in tone, though it would likely draw scrutiny from affected practitioners and employers because it imposes new licensing and compliance obligations.
Likely areas of contention include whether North Carolina should require state licensure for these imaging and therapy professions, how broad the new board’s rulemaking and scope-of-practice authority should be, and whether the transition rules are sufficient for current workers. Practitioners without existing national certification may be concerned about the new registration, education, and supervision requirements, while employers may object to the prohibition on using unlicensed personnel. Rural and underserved-area access could also be debated, since the bill acknowledges remote-area staffing issues but still imposes a formal licensing structure and criminal penalties for violations.