A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to authorize the department of health and human services to release confidential data in the controlled substances reporting system to the chief medical examiner and county medical examiners for the purpose of investigating deaths.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 90‑113.74(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	The Department shall release data in the controlled substances reporting system to the following persons only:
(1)	Persons authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances for the purpose of providing medical or pharmaceutical care for their patients.
(2)	An individual who requests the individual's own controlled substances reporting system information.
(3)	Special agents of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation who are assigned to the Diversion & Environmental Crimes Unit and whose primary duties involve the investigation of diversion and illegal use of prescription medication and who are engaged in a bona fide specific investigation related to enforcement of laws governing licit drugs. The SBI shall notify the Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina of each request for inspection of records maintained by the Department.
(4)	Primary monitoring authorities for other states pursuant to a specific ongoing investigation involving a designated person, if information concerns the dispensing of a Schedule II through V controlled substance to an ultimate user who resides in the other state or the dispensing of a Schedule II through V controlled substance prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner whose principal place of business is located in the other state.
(5)	To a court pursuant to a lawful court order in a criminal action.
(6)	The Division of Medical Assistance for purposes of administering the State Medical Assistance Plan.
(7)	Licensing boards with jurisdiction over health care disciplines pursuant to an ongoing investigation by the licensing board of a specific individual licensed by the board.
(8)	Any county medical examiner appointed by the Chief Medical Examiner pursuant to G.S. 130A‑382 and the Chief Medical Examiner, for the purpose of investigating the death of an individual."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.