Rep. Davis files bill in North Carolina House to update health care decision laws

A new bill filed by State Rep. Ted Davis, Jr. aims to modernize North Carolina’s laws on health care decision-making and clarify related legal documents, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 1115 on April 29 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘GSC Advance Health Care Planning Documents.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill updates North Carolina laws on health care powers of attorney, living wills and advance instructions for mental health treatment to align with parts of the 2023 Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act. It clarifies how these documents relate to each other, allows them to be combined in a single clearly labeled instrument, and standardizes definitions. The bill broadens who may consent to treatment or withdrawal of life-prolonging measures for patients lacking capacity and without directives, adding categories such as long-term co-residents and supported decision-making helpers. It also simplifies execution by allowing either two witnesses or notarization, and takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, for documents signed on or after that date.

Davis proposed another 20 bills during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Davis graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA and again from Wake Forest University Law School with a JD.

Davis, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 20th House district, replacing previous state representative Holly Grange.