H.B. 661
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Apr 17, 2023
SESSION 2023 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH10341-ND-145
Short Title: Emergency Services Peer Counseling Privilege. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative Winslow.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF VARIOUS PEER SUPPORT GROUP COUNSELOR
3 PROVISIONS.
4 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
5 SECTION 1. G.S. 8-53.10 reads as rewritten:
6 "§ 8-53.10. Peer support group counselors.
7 (a) Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section:
8 …
9 (3) Peer counselor. – Any active or retired law enforcement officer, emergency
10 personnel officer, or civilian employee of a law enforcement agency who:or
11 emergency agency who meets both of the following criteria:
12 a. Has received training to provide emotional and moral support and
13 counseling to client law enforcement employees, emergency personnel
14 officers, and their immediate families.
15 b. Was Has been designated by the a sheriff, police chief, or other head
16 of a law enforcement or emergency agency to counsel a provide
17 counseling to client law enforcement employee.employees and
18 emergency personnel officers.
19 (4) Privileged communication. – Any communication made by a client law
20 enforcement employee, emergency personnel officer, or a member of the
21 client law enforcement employee's or emergency personnel officer's
22 immediate family to a peer counselor while receiving counseling.
23 (a1) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require either of the following in order
24 for the privilege established by this section to apply:
25 (1) That the peer counselor be specifically assigned to counsel the client law
26 enforcement employee, emergency personnel officer, or member of the client
27 law enforcement employee's or emergency personnel officer's immediate
28 family receiving the counseling.
29 (2) That the designation as a peer counselor required by sub-subdivision b. of
30 subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section be made by the head of the
31 same agency that employs the client law enforcement employee or emergency
32 personnel officer.
33 …."
34 SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies retroactively to
35 communications made on or after July 8, 2022.
*DRH10341-ND-145*


Statutes affected:
Filed: 8-53.10
Edition 1: 8-53.10
Edition 2: 8-53.10