A new bill filed by State Rep. Dean Arp in the North Carolina House seeks to enhance mental and behavioral health support for children, families, and staff in child care and out-of-school programs, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 542 on March 26 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Child Care Mental & Behavioral Services/Funds.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill appropriates $7.5 million annually from the ARPA Temporary Savings Fund to the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium. The funding is designated to enhance mental and behavioral health services for children, families, and staff in child care and out-of-school settings. The NCPC must allocate these funds through specific budget codes and distribute them to local partnerships, ensuring the funds supplement existing Smart Start behavioral health spending. The NCPC is required to submit progress and final reports on the initiatives by March 15, 2026, and November 15, 2027, respectively. This act also establishes an interest-bearing, nonreverting special fund for NCPC, allowing unexpended state funds to remain available for reallocation. The bill takes effect upon becoming law.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Donny Lambeth proposed the most bills (37) 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.
Arp graduated from The Military College of South Carolina in 1988 with a BS.
Arp, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 69th House district, replacing previous state representative Frank McGuirt.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Arp, Donny Lambeth, Erin Paré, and Heather H. Rhyne | HB 542 | 03/26/2025 | Child Care Mental & Behavioral Services/Funds. |
| Dean Arp, Dennis Riddell, Grant L. Campbell, MD, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 435 | 03/18/2025 | Mod. Bd. of Eng’ers & Surveyors. |
| Dean Arp, Carla D. Cunningham, Keith Kidwell, and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 451 | 03/18/2025 | Diabetes Education for Parents. |
| Dean Arp, Donny Lambeth, Erin Paré, and Heather H. Rhyne | HB 412 | 03/17/2025 | Child Care Regulatory Reforms. |
| Dean Arp, Donny Lambeth, John R. Bell, IV, and Larry C. Strickland | HB 389 | 03/12/2025 | Child Care Workforce Pilot Program. |
| Dean Arp, Chris Humphrey, Jonathan L. Almond, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 357 | 03/10/2025 | Continuing Care Retirement Communities Act.-AB |
| Dean Arp, Donny Lambeth, Erin Paré, and Heather H. Rhyne | HB 309 | 03/05/2025 | Various Local Provisions VI. |
| Dean Arp, Dennis Riddell, Destin Hall, and John M. Blust | HB 310 | 03/05/2025 | Eminent Domain. |
| Dean Arp and David Willis | HB 170 | 02/21/2025 | Restore Down-Zoning/Union Co. |
| Dean Arp, Donny Lambeth, Kyle Hall, and Larry C. Strickland | HB 74 | 02/10/2025 | House Budget Technical Corrections. |
