State and local governments across the country have wisely suspended regulations to help fight the coronavirus.Below is a list of suspended rules and regulations from the state of North Carolina.
“North Carolina temporarily lifted a regulation requiring hospitals to get state permission to add beds. The rule said hospitals couldn’t add more than 10% of their licensed bed capacity without state approval… Applying for a CON can cost as much as $500,000, and the state board which grants CONs doesn’t meet for months.” – The Tribune Papers
“DPS, in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (“DOT”), shall waive the maximum hours of service for drivers prescribed by DPS pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-381. DPS, in conjunction with DOT, shall waive certain size and weight restrictions and penalties… for vehicles transporting equipment and supplies for the restoration of utility services, and vehicles carrying essentials and equipment for any debris removal in support of emergency relief efforts in the Emergency Area.” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Section 1 delegates to the Secretary of Health & Human Services authority to waive or modify the enforcement of any legal or regulatory constraints that would prevent or impair: … (c) Temporarily adding dialysis stations, (d) Temporarily relocating dialysis stations, (e) Temporarily acquiring CT or MRI scanners, or (f) Allowing an ambulatory surgical facility to operate as a temporary hospital.” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Section 2 authorizes child care facilities to remain open or reopen under new guidelines that adapt regulatory requirements to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Order delegates to the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority to waive or modify enforcement of certain regulations, including: Regulations on child care facility requirements, activities, records, orientation, continuing education, food, and attendance, including without limitation 10A N.C. Admin. Code 09 .0201, .0508, .0510, .0703(c) and (d), .0901, .1101(a), .1401(a) and (f), .1402(b), .1709, .1718, .1721(a)(1) and (a)(2), .2318(6), .2504, .2508, .2830, .3003, and .3005.” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Section 3 takes several actions meant to add additional health care workers to the North Carolina system. First, in Section 3(A), the Governor delegates to each professional health care licensure board the authority to waive or modify enforcement of any legal or regulatory constraints that would prevent: (i) Allowing practice in North Carolina by health care professionals that are licensed in other states, but not in North Carolina…” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Section 3 takes several actions meant to add additional health care workers to the North Carolina system. First, in Section 3(A), the Governor delegates to each professional health care licensure board the authority to waive or modify enforcement of any legal or regulatory constraints that would prevent: (ii) Allowing retired or inactive health care professionals to provide care…” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Section 3 takes several actions meant to add additional health care workers to the North Carolina system. First, in Section 3(A), the Governor delegates to each professional health care licensure board the authority to waive or modify enforcement of any legal or regulatory constraints that would prevent: … (iii) Allowing skilled, but unlicensed volunteers to provide care; and/or (iv) Allowing students to provide care if they are at an appropriately advanced stage of professional study.” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Section 5 suspends certain regulations that could prevent or impair providing mental health and substance use disorder treatment services and support services for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (“MH/DD/SAS” services). To allow MH/DD/SAS services to continue to be provided—and to authorize these services to be provided by telehealth…” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Section 6(B) allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive or modify the enforcement of regulations on initial assessments or supervisory visits, adapting those provisions for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is delegated authority to waive or modify enforcement of the following regulations: Regulations on initial assessment for agencies providing in-home aide services, including but not limited to 10A N.C. Admin. Code 13J .1107.; Regulations on supervisory visits for in-home caregivers, including but not limited to 10A N.C. Admin. Code 13J .1110.; Any regulations that are related to the provisions listed above.” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“Because of the COVID-19 crisis, private health care providers are facing extreme difficulty in maintaining their workforce. Section 6(C) allows private health care providers, other than child care providers, to avoid a problem indirectly caused by certain counties failing to offer fingerprinting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some counties currently fail to offer fingerprinting. Without fingerprinting, national background checks cannot be performed, although state background checks can still be performed. National background checks are required for certain new hires. Therefore, under Section 6(C), the Secretary of Health and Human Services is delegated the authority to give health care providers (other than child care providers) additional time to complete the national background check part of a new hire’s application.” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper
“The Secretary may, upon finding that a waiver or modification of enforcement will provide necessary relief to local health departments responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not endanger public health, (a) waive or modify enforcement of local health department mandated services requirements under 1 0A N.C. Admin. Code 46 .0200 and (b) may extend the time period for public health nurses to complete training sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (“NCDHHS”) under l0A N.C. Admin. Code 46 .0301(2)(b).” – Office of Governor Roy Cooper