Appropriates $250,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, for 2022-23 for a directed grant to Southeastern Carolina Crossroads Inc. as title indicates. Effective July 1, 2022.

Includes whereas clauses. Appropriates $300,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management for 2022-23 to provide a directed grant to Henderson Institute Graduates and Former Students Association Inc. as title indicates. Effective July 1, 2022.

Effective October 1, 2022, amends the following components of modernized hospital assessments imposed pursuant to Part 2 of Article 7A, GS Chapter 108A, as follows.

Current GS 108A-146.12 sets the postpartum coverage component of the modernized hospital assessment at $12.5 million per quarter for 2021-22, with the component set to increase in each subsequent State fiscal year thereafter to over the prior year's quarterly amount by the Medicare Economic Index. Instead, sets the quarterly postpartum coverage component at $11,004,424 for 2022-23, with the component set to increase for subsequent State fiscal years after 2022-23, rather than 2021-22, as previously described. 

Similarly amends GS 108A-146.13, which sets the intergovernmental transfer adjustment component of the modernized hospital assessment, to revise its historical subcomponent and postpartum subcomponent. Now sets the quarterly historical subcomponent at $41,193,181, with increases in each subsequent State fiscal year thereafter by the market basket percentage (was, set to increase over the $41,227,321 quarterly amount set for 2021-22 by the market basket percentage for each subsequent State fiscal year after 2021-22). Sets the quarterly postpartum subcomponent, applicable only from April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2027, at $2,606,384 for 2022-23, with increases in each subsequent State fiscal year thereafter by the Medicare Economic Index (was set to increase over the $2,962,500 quarterly amount set for 2021-22 by the market basket percentage for each subsequent State fiscal year after 2021-22). Further amends the statute to make a clarification regarding the required reduction of the intergovernmental transfer adjustment component for private acute care hospitals that have closed or changed to a private acute care hospital.

Notwithstanding the above statutory changes, for the quarter beginning October 1, 2022, sets the postpartum coverage component at $3,349,731, and the postpartum subcomponent of the intergovernmental transfer adjustment component at $789,559.

Amends GS 7A-760 to authorize the Chief Administrative Law Judge to establish subordinate positions within the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), make appointments, remove appointees, and set salaries of such positions within the bounds of legislative appropriations and state law. Eliminates the existing charge requiring the NCGA to establish the number of OAH employees.

Enacts Article 7, in GS Chapter 122C, to explicitly prohibit the State or any local government from asserting any Released Claims, as that term is defined in the final consent judgements of two specified Wake County Superior Court cases (noted in the Article as the Opioid Consent Judgements), against Released Entities, as that term is defined in the Opioid Consent Judgements, including identified pharmaceutical corporations. Includes other defined terms. States legislative findings and intent. Preserves all remedies the State or any local government may have under the Opioid Consent Judgments.

Makes the new prohibition, codified as GS 122C-470.8, applicable to all Released Claims, whether originally asserted before or after the date the act becomes law.