1.
About the RTA
• Voice of the regional business community on transportation
• More than 150 members, including 25+ chambers of commerce
• Focus on freeways, streets, intersections, transit, air service
• Revenue for transportation, and innovations
Mission: Deliver business leadership to get our region moving faster.
2022 Critical Issues Series: The Legislative Forum
The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro – Thursday, December 8, 2022

2.
Accelerated Metropolitan Mobility strategy
2022 Critical Issues Series: The Legislative Forum
The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro – Thursday, December 8, 2022
1. Identify sustainable funding for RDU Airport
2. Advance enhanced regional transit system
3. Promote rapid relief freeway improvements
4. Support mobility innovations and pilots
5. Modernize revenues for highways and streets

3.
Accelerated Metropolitan Mobility strategy
2022 Critical Issues Series: The Legislative Forum
The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro – Thursday, December 8, 2022
• Advance enhanced regional transit system
• Promote rapid relief freeway improvements
Transit priority shoulders
BOSS expansion
Accelerated, interconnected BRT
Freeway And Street-based Transit (FAST) study

4.
Accelerated Metropolitan Mobility strategy
2022 Critical Issues Series: The Legislative Forum
The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro – Thursday, December 8, 2022
• Support mobility innovations and pilots
• Modernize revenues for highways and streets
Dedicating transportation $ to transportation
Sales tax allocation 2022
Access user fee to replace gas tax
Modular roundabouts and Dynamic Left Turn intersections

5.
T HE UN IV E RS IT Y OF N ORT H CA ROL IN A AT CHA P E L HIL L
The Chamber For a Greater
Chapel Hill - Carrboro
Legislative Forum 2022
Kelly Dockham, Director of Federal Affairs
Thursday, December 8, 2022

6.
2

7.
T HE UN IV E RS IT Y OF N ORT H CA ROLIN A AT CHA P E L HIL L 3
2022 Midterm Election Results
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
• NC-08: Dan Bishop (R)
• NC-09: Richard Hudson (R)
• NC-10: Patrick McHenry (R)
• NC-11: Chuck Edwards (R)*
• NC-12: Alma Adams (D)
• NC-13: Wiley Nickel (D)*
• NC-14: Jeff Jackson (D)*
UNC FEDERAL AFFAIRS
• NC-01: Don Davis (D)*
• NC-02: Deborah Ross (D)
• NC-03: Greg Murphy (R)
• NC-04: Valerie Foushee (D)*
• NC-05: Virginia Foxx (R)
• NC-06: Kathy Manning (D)
• NC-07: David Rouzer (R)
*New Member

8.
T HE UN IV E RS IT Y OF N ORT H CA ROLIN A AT CHA P E L HIL L 4
2022 Midterm Election Results
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
North Carolina House Delegation
o 7 Democrats
o 7 Republicans
UNC Alumni: 6
UNC FEDERAL AFFAIRS

9.
T HE UN IV E RS IT Y OF N ORT H CA ROLIN A AT CHA P E L HIL L 5
2022 Midterm Election Results
U.S. SENATE
 NC Senator-Elect Ted Budd (R)
UNC FEDERAL AFFAIRS
51
Democrats
49
Republicans

10.
T HE UN IV E RS IT Y OF N ORT H CA ROLIN A AT CHA P E L HIL L 6
LAME-DUCK CONGRESS – DECEMBER 2022
 Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Appropriations
• Continuing Resolution expires on
December 16
• Omnibus?
 National Defense Reauthorization Act
(NDAA) FY23
UNC FEDERAL AFFAIRS

11.
T HE UN IV E RS IT Y OF N ORT H CA ROLIN A AT CHA P E L HIL L 7
• Consolidated Appropriations
Act of 2022
• The CHIPS & Science Act of
2022
• Advanced Research Projects
Agency–Health (ARPA–H)
• Senate: PREVENT Pandemics Act
(S.3799)
• House: ARPA-H Act (H.R. 5585)
2022 Key Legislation
UNC FEDERAL AFFAIRS

12.
8
AHEAD | 2023
U N C FE D E R A L A FFA I R S
• Slim Republican Majority in the House
• New Speaker of the House
• Senate Democrats increase majority by 1 Seat
• Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
• New Committee Leadership in both Chambers
- NC Delegation Committee Assignments
- Losing senior spot on House Appropriations
• Divided Congress will impact legislative actions
• Compromise & Bipartisanship will be needed!
118th
U.S. CONGRESS
Convene: January 3, 2023

13.
9
AHEAD | 2023
U N C FE D E R A L A FFA I R S
• Long Session: January – July *odd years
• 2-year Budget
• NC Senate: Republican Super Majority
• President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger (R)
• NC House: Near Republican Super Majority
• Speaker of House Tim Moore (R)
• NC State Supreme Court Control Flips from D to R
• NCGA = Redrawing of Maps!
North Carolina
General Assembly
(Long Session)

14.
UNC Health
UNC Health
Legislative Priorities at UNC Health
1
Lanier Swann Hodgson
Vice President, State and Federal Relations
UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine
Leah Burns
Executive Director of State Government Affairs
UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine

15.
UNC Health
2
UNC Health’s mission is to
improve the health and well-being
of North Carolinians and others
whom we serve.
Our Mission Defines Our Priorities

16.
UNC Health
Protecting and Expanding Access To Care
• Medicaid Expansion & The Healthcare Access
Stabilization Program (HASP)
• Extend or make permanent key COVID Waivers
• Sustaining telehealth services above all
• Support for COVID long-hauler treatment and research
• Additional investments towards pandemic
preparedness as a whole
• Increased investment into NIH research
Safeguarding Those Who Provide It
• Workforce support to slow the health care staff shortage
• Graduate Medical Education investments are critical
• Staffing flexibilities for providers
• Medicaid Expansion and preventing Medicare cuts
• Workplace violence protections
• Sustained and proactive opportunities to ensure rural
providers and rural hospitals continue to serve their
communities
3
How Can We Meet Our Mission?

17.
UNC Health
Our Top Priority: Addressing The Mental Health Crisis In North
Carolina’s Children
Extreme lack of
CAP specialists
in North
Carolina, one of
the country’s
fastest growing
eastern states
Annual CAP
suicides in
North Carolina
have doubled in
the last 10 years
Limited number
of pediatric
mental health
crisis centers
throughout North
Carolina

18.
UNC Health
The Mental Health Crisis In North Carolina’s Children
North Carolina
needs an
additional 400 IP
beds to support
existing demand
of CAP patients
Average ED wait
time is 57 hours,
with some CAP
patients held in
the ED up to 3
months waiting
for a bed
CAP patients
lack specialized
resources, which
are not available
on general units

19.
UNC Health
The Mental Health Crisis In North Carolina’s Children
Commercial and
state payors
don’t cover CAP
Intensive
Outpatient
Programs
Wait times in NC
are over three
months for an
initial CAP
outpatient visit
COVID
exacerbating
depression,
anxiety,
substance
abuse issues

20.
UNC Health
7
Happening Across Our Country:
We Have An Opportunity To Make A Huge Impact Right Here In North Carolina

21.
UNC Health
Our Focus: Large-Scale Solutions To Combat The CAP Crisis
Crisis Solutions Solution Details
1. Increase access to CAP services throughout the state
Promote greater usage of tele-psych services and ensure
children and adolescents in any part of the State have
equitable access to CAP services
2. Increase specialty OP services for adolescents
Provide PHP/IOP services at eight locations distributed
across the state
3. Reduce Number of CAP Patients Having to Board in
the ED
State would fund a dedicated CAP inpatient facility, with a
minimum of 100 beds of incremental capacity, either on an
existing UNC Health campus or as a freestanding facility
(300,000 sf)
4. Provide Care for CAP Patients in Crisis
UNC (with state funding support) to provide additional care
to CAP patients in crisis through the construction of four new
CAP crisis centers
(15,000 sf each)

22.
UNC Health
9
Long Term Solutions: Reduce Strain in Emergency
Departments, Ensure Access
• Increase Medicaid provider rates by a certain percentage (e.g., 2.5% in CO) and compel
insurance companies to cover mental healthcare expenses at parity
• Require insurers to cover provider reimbursement for pre-defined IOP/PHP programs
• Cover up to three telehealth therapy sessions for all youth
• Develop an independent behavioral health ombudsman program to educate and investigate
complaints regarding insurance denials
• Require insurance carriers to adopt a standardized, state-mandated set of “medical necessity”
rules to limit denial of coverage

23.
UNC Health
10
• Develop multiple psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs) for children
and adolescents
• Develop a statewide app and 9-8-8 hotline for suicide prevention
• Waive education loans to mental health professionals who work in State for a
predefined period after completing their training
• Support additional residency positions in CAP at state universities
• Expand language/cultural training for mental health professionals
• Place mental health counselors and/or social workers in every high school
Long Term Solutions: Meet Patients Where They Are, Expand
Access

24.
UNC Health
11
Questions?