Sen. Lee files bill in North Carolina Senate to ease employment barriers for disabled workers

A new bill filed by Sen. Lee seeks to remove employment barriers for people with disabilities by changing eligibility requirements for Medicaid’s HCWD program, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 448 on March 24 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Remove Employment Barriers/Ppl w Disabilities.’

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

In essence, this bill aims to remove employment barriers for people with disabilities by eliminating the unearned income and resource limits from the eligibility requirements for the Health Coverage for Workers with Disabilities (HCWD) program under Medicaid. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is tasked with obtaining approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement these changes. The bill outlines eligibility criteria for HCWD, including age, disability status, and employment efforts, while allowing continued eligibility during involuntary unemployment. It also establishes fees and premiums based on income levels. Effective July 1, 2025, the bill allocates $165,000 in recurring state funds to match $301,000 in federal funds for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium to support the program.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, Lisa Grafstein proposed the most bills (45) 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.

Lee graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991 with a BA and again in 1997 from Wake Forest University Law School with a JD.

Lee, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 7th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Jim Perry.