Sen. Murdock files bill in North Carolina Senate to improve care for high-risk pregnancies

A new bill filed by State Sen. Natalie S. Murdock in the North Carolina Senate aims to strengthen statewide resources for people experiencing high-risk pregnancies, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 907 on April 29 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘The Ciji Graham Act.’

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

In essence, this bill, effective July 1, 2026, directs the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to improve care for high-risk pregnancies by creating a statewide navigation program, a consultation hotline and a centralized clinical information hub. It appropriates $2.3 million in recurring funds to place nurse consultants in each Medicaid region to help patients understand diagnoses, coordinate referrals, address barriers and use telehealth. It allocates $7.7 million in recurring funds for a weekday hotline that offers real-time clinical advice and referrals for providers and community groups. The bill also requires standardized referral pathways so patients with high-risk pregnancies receive prompt access to specialized care or, when chosen or medically indicated and allowed by law, pregnancy termination services.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Murdock proposed the most bills (92) 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.

Murdock graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA.

Murdock, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2020 to represent the state’s 20th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Mickey Michaux.