North Carolina Council of Churches Endorses the SAVE Act

RALEIGH, N.C. - March 18, 2025 - PRLog -- The North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA) is excited to announce yet another endorsement for legislation to cut outdated red tape on healthcare. The North Carolina Council of Churches (https://ncchurches.org/), representing more than 6,000 congregations, is formally endorsing the SAVE Act, which is designed to modernize regulations for the state's Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).

"Affordable and accessible health care is a critical need. The SAVE Act is one way to ensure that need is met, especially in many rural areas that do not have numerous health care facilities and providers," said Rev. Alan Felton, Chair of the NC Council of Churches' Legislative Committee and a member of its Governing Board. "The SAVE Act expands the opportunities for people in North Carolina to get the medical attention they need."

North Carolina-specific research shows that the SAVE Act would save the state at least $650 million per year by increasing access to more affordable providers, giving patients better options to tackle health needs earlier, and addressing a variety of other costs.

With healthcare spending, access, and quality major concerns for both legislators and voters, the SAVE Act represents one of the few shovel-ready options for the NC General Assembly; it has the added benefit of not adding a dime of spending to the state budget. Similar bills have been successfully passed and implemented in at least 27 other states, and a trove of research shows this type of legislation would be a risk-free benefit to both patients and North Carolina's healthcare infrastructure.

The SAVE Act has built a diverse base of support across the political spectrum, with the NC Council of Churches representing the first faith-based organization to join the effort. There are now 26 organizations outside of the nursing profession that support Full Practice Authority for APRNs. There is no known opposition to this type of legislation outside of physicians' groups, who support keeping 1980s-era regulations.