H.B. 127
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Feb 23, 2021
SESSION 2021 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH10046-LGa-36
Short Title: WF Baptist Health Regional Autopsy Ctr Funds. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Lambeth, Zenger, A. Baker, and Zachary (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR A NEW WAKE FOREST BAPTIST HEALTH
3 REGIONAL AUTOPSY CENTER IN WINSTON-SALEM.
4 Whereas, Wake Forest Baptist Health (WFBH) Regional Autopsy Center is currently
5 performing autopsies in a space that is inadequate to facilitate current and future estimated
6 volume, presents significant operational challenges, and is not compliant with National
7 Association of Medical Examiners autopsy standards; and
8 Whereas, in 2018, the WFBH Regional Autopsy Center performed 1,226 postmortem
9 examinations. This number is expected to increase due to the anticipated growth in population
10 and deaths resulting from the opioid epidemic; and
11 Whereas, in order to remedy this situation, plans have been made to construct a new
12 WFBH Regional Autopsy Center on the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Clarkson Campus,
13 located in Winston-Salem; and
14 Whereas, the WFBH Regional Autopsy Center will provide approximately 1,760
15 medicolegal autopsies per year for the 32 counties in western North Carolina which it serves and
16 provide eight autopsy workstations, refrigerated storage for 50 bodies, and appropriate support
17 facilities, equipment rooms, and building support; Now, therefore,
18 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
19 SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Wake Forest
20 University Baptist Medical Center, a nonprofit corporation, the sum of three million six hundred
21 twenty-eight thousand one hundred nineteen dollars ($3,628,119) in nonrecurring funds for the
22 2021-2022 fiscal year and the sum of seventeen million nine hundred seventy-two thousand three
23 hundred sixty-two dollars ($17,972,362) in nonrecurring funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to
24 help fund the construction of the new Wake Forest Baptist Health Regional Autopsy Center in
25 Winston-Salem.
26 SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2021.
*DRH10046-LGa-36*