Can decarboxylation of carboxylic acids be effected by bases other than soda lime?
Decarboxylation can be effected by pretty much any base strong enough to produce the anion plus a high enough temperature. I've used DBU to effect an aromatic decarboxylation.
The role of the $\ce{NaOH}$ is this reaction is to capture the $\ce{CO2}$ as sodium carbonate.