AN ACT to establish a nurse testimonial privilege.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 7 of Chapter 8 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 8-53.13.	Nurse privilege.
No person licensed pursuant to Article 9A of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes shall be required to disclose any information that may have been acquired in rendering professional nursing services, and which information was necessary to enable that person to render professional nursing services, except that the presiding judge of a superior or district court may compel disclosure if, in the court's opinion, disclosure is necessary to a proper administration of justice and disclosure is not prohibited by other statute or rule."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2003.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 10th day of July, 2003.

	_____________________________________
		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	_____________________________________
		 Richard T. Morgan
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	_____________________________________
		 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2003