Rep. Clark introduces North Carolina legislation to boost maternal and cancer care services

State Rep. Tracy Clark has introduced a bill in the North Carolina House targeting improved maternal care and cancer screening access through dedicated grant initiatives and insurance changes, according to the North Carolina State House.

Submitted as HB 1127 on April 29 during the 2025 session, the bill is formally titled: ‘Affordable Maternal Access & Cancer Care Act.’

The summary below is based on the full bill text, containing clarified interpretations of the proposed measures.

Key provisions include creation of a Maternal Care Access Grant Program awarding $10,000 to $50,000 grants—backed by $5 million in ongoing 2026-27 funding—to community-led efforts serving historically underserved groups, aiming to decrease maternal mortality and severe morbidity. Outreach, technical assistance, and reporting requirements are mandated. The bill further allocates $2 million to establish a statewide Prostate Cancer Control Program for free or low-cost screening and follow-up for qualified uninsured or underinsured men. Additionally, health plans, including the State Health Plan, must offer cost-sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging that is no less favorable than for screening mammograms, and the bill limits out-of-network billing for specified breast cancer imaging. Most changes are set to begin July 1, 2026, with insurance and billing reforms effective Oct. 1, 2026.

Among the four bill sponsors, Lindsey Prather had the highest bill introduction count (42) during the 2025 regular session.

Legislation in North Carolina goes through a multi-step process before passage. Legislators file a bill, which is then assigned to a committee. The bill must be read on three occasions in each chamber, and if one chamber amends a previously passed bill, both chambers must agree on a final version. After bicameral approval, the measure reaches the governor, who has 10 days—or 30 days if the legislature is adjourned—to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without a signature.

Further details on bills and legislative actions are available here.

Clark earned a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007 and completed additional studies there in 2012.

A Democrat, Clark won election to the North Carolina State House in 2024, representing the 57th House district and succeeding former representative Ashton Clemmons.