A bill that will help rural and independent pharmacies and their customers in North Carolina was one of nine bills signed into law by Gov. Josh Stein on Wednesday.

SB 479, the SCRIPT Act, had state Sen. Benton Sawrey, R-Johnston, as one of its primary co-sponsors. The North Carolina General Assembly passed the conference report for the bill unanimously in June as a step toward bringing down the price of health care in North Carolina.

It gives consumers the benefit of prescription drug rebates at the pharmacy counter. Before, a payer could keep those rebates to offset other costs. 

The bill is intended to increase transparency in prescription drug supply chain links, including Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Pharmacy Services Administrative Organizations (PSAOs), and prescription drug pricing. 

what does the Script Act do?

The bill allows insurers, including Medicaid managed care plans, to offer targeted health services—such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol screenings—through select pharmacies, particularly in underserved areas. Previously, health plans were required to offer the same enhanced services to all pharmacies within their statewide networks. That “all-or-nothing” rule made it too expensive to support smaller, rural providers.

Under the new law, health plans can create contracts with individual pharmacies making it financially feasible to direct resources where they’re needed most.

Supporters say the change will help rural pharmacies serve as a front door to the health care system, catching chronic conditions early and connecting patients to care before issues escalate.

Lawmakers anticipate that the flexibility will increase health access in areas where traditional medical providers may be limited, while also giving pharmacists a greater role in preventative care.

drug pricing

The bill also prohibits PSAOs from requiring independent pharmacies to buy more expensive drugs from certain wholesalers when less expensive options are available.

“No matter where you live in North Carolina, you should be able to access affordable health care and medications,” Stein said in a press release. “This bill increases accountability and protects community pharmacies from Pharmacy Benefit Managers’ unfair business practices that make prescription drugs more expensive for patients. It will help independent pharmacies promote access to health care, particularly in rural areas. And critically, it will lower the amount consumers pay at the pharmacy counter by making sure discounts are passed on to them.” 

2025 public safety act

Stein, a Democrat, also signed SB 429, 2025 Public Safety Act, into law.

The bill language includes extending the time for crime victims to apply for restitution from three days to six months. It also increases penalties for sex offenders, secret peeping, and fentanyl crimes, while criminalizing the act of exposing children to drugs. A longstanding law requiring adult children to support their parents financially was also repealed with this bill.

Access to public records like autopsy reports and 911 calls will also become more restricted. Finally, first-time drunk drivers may receive lighter sentences if they install ignition interlocks that prevent car operation after drinking under this bill.

“This bill makes it easier for certain victims of domestic violence to have their day in court and obtain a restraining order, and it increases penalties for the sale of fentanyl to get this deadly drug off our streets,” the governor said of the bill. “It also makes clear that, just as with other organizations, religious organizations can be held liable for sexual abuse by their employees.

But he also said he had concerns about the bill. It will make it more difficult for convicted individuals to request a motion for appropriate relief, an important tool for proving wrongful convictions. It follows a Senate budget proposal to eliminate the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission.

“I am concerned that this bill increases penalties on people for their addiction when it is already a felony to possess narcotics and that it punishes organizations providing civil legal services to low-income North Carolinians,” Stein continued. “I urge the General Assembly to responsibly address addiction and to protect funding for Legal Aid and other organizations.”

Military and veteran support act

SB 118, Military and Veteran Support Act reduces concealed carry fees for honorably discharged veterans and retired law enforcement officers, plus a host of other measures that bill sponsors say are intended to improve the life of service members and veterans.

It includes providing additional time for military families to provide proof of residency for public school enrollment, authorizing remote driver’s license renewals for active duty military and their families, prohibiting discriminatory admissions policies regarding active duty service members and veterans, requiring military admissions deferment for certain person admitted to the UNC System, and providing in-state tuition to certain honorably discharged veterans.

“North Carolina is home to approximately 100,000 active-duty service members,” the governor said in the release. “Moving to a new deployment can be disruptive for their families, and we must do what we can to smooth that transition. This bill will make it easier for military families to enroll their kids in school and renew their drivers’ licenses remotely.”

He did voice concerns, however, that certain businesses that claim to help service members secure benefits could instead use the bill as a cover to overcharge them and encourages the General Assembly to “find ways to support servicemembers and their families and protect them from those who want to take advantage of them.”

The Law and order act

SB 311, The Law and Order Act, includes harsher penalties for burglary, package theft, reckless driving, and street racing, shoplifting, and other offenses. It also includes the possibility of fines or prison time for certain picketing activities. That includes any protestors or workers on strike who block roads or businesses.

“This bill cracks down on a variety of crimes, including burglary, retail theft, reckless driving, hit-and-run offenses, and protects utilities and communications workers on the job,” Stein said of the bill.

harrison’s law

Stein also signed Senate Bill 375, Harrison’s Law, which cracks down on campus by expanding bans beyond college, to include grades 9-12. The bill was named after Harrison Kowiak who died from a head injury sustained during fraternity hazing at Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2008. The new bill expands the legal definition of hazing beyond “physical injury” to include things like forced consumption, sleep deprivation, and threats. The bill also increases penalties and requires schools to implement anti-hazing policies. 

He also signed the following bills into law:

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