Rep. Shepard files bill in North Carolina House to protect living organ donors

A new bill filed by State Rep. Phil Shepard in the North Carolina House seeks to protect living organ donors from insurance discrimination and support them with tax credits and paid leave, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 663 on April 1 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Living Donor Protection Act.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill, named the Living Donor Protection Act, intends to safeguard living organ donors from insurance discrimination, offer a tax credit for unreimbursed medical expenses associated with organ or marrow donations, and grant state employees paid leave for such contributions. It prohibits insurers from treating living organ donors adversely in terms of insurance coverage solely based on their donor status, effective 30 days post-enactment for applicable contracts. Additionally, the bill allows taxpayers a credit against taxes for donation-related expenses up to $5,000, effective for taxable years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2025. The bill also provides full-time state employees up to 30 days of paid leave for organ donation and seven days for bone marrow donation, with prorated amounts for part-time employees, applicable to all state-supported personnel. This provision requires enactment of relevant policies by applicable boards, with an annual reporting obligation on the program’s implementation. The bill is effective upon becoming law, except as otherwise specified.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Grant L. Campbell, MD proposed the most bills (46) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Shepard, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2011 to represent the state’s 15th House district, replacing previous state representative Robert Grady.