[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6097948,"mediaKeyId","2826221-16ff6c81489bcde6043f5059c0cf1071","parentId",2826221,"title","Human Services committee moves to study gaps in care for children with severe behavioral health needs","audioSeconds",2719,"startMs",1003000,"endMs",3722000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826221-16ff6c81489bcde6043f5059c0cf1071&start=1003&end=3722","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826221-16ff6c81489bcde6043f5059c0cf1071/thumbnail_1003000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097948/North-Dakota/Human-Services-committee-moves-to-study-gaps-in-care-for-children-with-severe-behavioral-health-needs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097948-b256411ea926b4064a65abef66a5f003/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042313&Signature=TgwYJkRb~3ytTfUbPdRKo0BrxL8viyvEuZxq796~jp3-Zg1rbCL6XkN3uVJPBDvWFH9FgPxjcqFDwFjWqg75P1k5zSCKueqe5iVyLrJsy9O1RMKO5gtEKACOAP34VeiSxDA6UDU3togMdH3TQqF1yuGFo4vq13x4zcauRwqdqcvoAq43kse-YyChhwdxNfpEjwo5Vcq0vkxzfVeSD00kgaCSiH2mWT6buBwY80g2b1th4tiemi187evO~M5WMV8aA0exy6Mijr1-EX9M5-iy7XyA-UFvf-AiOXi~XWyGKp8Z~jFcrCaMyWNcokXQQZNFZ0DFlGRrZ1Iuvp69Uao2Yg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Human Services Committee discussed converting Senate Bill 1556 into a study overseen by the Children's Cabinet to address placement and service gaps for children with serious behavioral health problems who also have criminal charges or juvenile-court involvement.

Committee chair Senator Lee opened the discussion by asking whether members were ready to consider bill 1556 as a study. Senator Hogan, who led the conversation, said the bill “generated a lot of discussion” and that he was working with the Department of Health and Human Services and other parties “to draft converting this into a study initiative.” Hogan added that he planned to transfer the study responsibility to the Children's Cabinet and meet with the governor's office and the cabinet chair to seek a facilitator and scope for the work.

Why it matters: committee members and zone officials described immediate placement shortages for children with high-risk behaviors and said the current system can discharge youth from high-level programs without an alternative placement. Kim Jacobson of the Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone told the committee the zone directors “very much support the concept of a study” and that zones are seeing “more and more children with greater need.” Jacobson and other zone representatives are compiling case listings to show entry dates, charges and current placement status.

What the committee heard: members described cases ranging from aggravated assault and burglary to stabbing and an attempted-murder charge being placed or considered for placement in the child welfare system. A committee speaker said children being placed in zones include some as young as 13. Hogan said the group may find “40 similar situations” once data are collected, and warned that psychiatric residential treatment facilities in North Dakota can discharge youth without a documented alternative placement plan — a policy some members contrasted unfavorably with rules in other states.

Committee members and witnesses outlined several service gaps and possible options: expanding inpatient adolescent psychiatric capacity, building community-based programs similar to a Manchester program in Bismarck that several witnesses praised, reviving group-home–level treatment that has declined in recent years, and identifying whether funds set aside for other placements could be reallocated to alternatives. The committee noted the high cost of intensive long-term placements: a speaker described the per-person annual cost for some long-term developmental placements as about $500,000.

Next steps and timing: Hogan said he would meet at 11 a.m. with Children's Cabinet leadership and the governor's office and try to identify a neutral facilitator and a small working group (he suggested not more than eight people) to produce recommendations. Zone directors agreed to compile and submit a listing of youth now held in custody because of behavior-based referrals; one committee member asked whether that list could be ready by Wednesday and a zone representative said they would urge colleagues to complete it. Hogan said he would report back after meeting with the cabinet and governor's office.

What the committee did and did not do: members agreed informally to pursue the study route for 1556 and to develop reporting and possible six-month updates to Legislative Management on Human Services, but the record shows no formal roll-call vote on converting the bill to a study during this hearing.

Participants also urged caution about labeling parents or terminating parental rights as the primary mechanism for accessing care; Senator Weston raised concerns that terminating parental rights could harm rehabilitation prospects. The committee discussed existing legal mechanisms that allow direct parent placement without terminating parental rights and asked staff to compile data on recent admissions to the Long-Term Services Center (LSTC) and other high-level placements.

Ending: committee members agreed to continue the conversation in follow-up meetings and in a possible conference committee. Senator Hogan said he would coordinate with the Children's Cabinet and the governor's office and return with more concrete next steps after his scheduled meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Human Services Mar 31, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Human Services Committee discussed converting Senate Bill 1556 into a study overseen by the Children's Cabinet to identify placement and service gaps for children with serious behavioral health issues who also have juvenile‑court involvement.","taxTitle","Human Services, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28905,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097940,"Committee flags language inconsistency in bill on rights of health‑care facility residents",41,786000,827000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826221-16ff6c81489bcde6043f5059c0cf1071&start=786&end=827","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826221-16ff6c81489bcde6043f5059c0cf1071/thumbnail_786000.jpg","/articles/6097940/North-Dakota/Committee-flags-language-inconsistency-in-bill-on-rights-of-healthcare-facility-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097940-47b253ef8995f513f236f70683183f3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042313&Signature=ScLvZXVTK~dDDz-YjQ7ECVw82LFypyvZZxEOWFg-wsnxbzePRy9quvxdH1Nz-91ahHFLnMM9KfKYB2xK4BThrTMDNusqW9IVU6nW9ZvhEoJnwBpmZOO4DL7V0dp4Y-ESESEfcSl3Qw1S1ZBhE3Ecm28s6KaKwV-S8TTDjGSaXDcyxlJUuYPLxyfqSOc9jlInwNZhBxx493FM-xW2paFUz-ygZJqfTOAp3geymAE7LdOsXtJ8ye5VxdNLzmma2B4h0GjPmoJnfB1MnB~weShxHkgqHYV1q3C-U3rPt4DYD1CV6jG3-usrucwzfAjd3smXQvMG1Oo3RPWsrt2Bsj-Iuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee staff and an attorney from the Department of Health and Human Services identified a drafting inconsistency in Senate Bill 2070, which addresses rights of residents in health‑care facilities.

Jonathan Alm, an attorney with the Department of Health and Human Services, told the committee that section 1 added physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists to a list of providers but that the later definition of “incapacitated patient” referenced only the attending physician. Alm recommended making the language consistent across sections.

Committee members agreed the inconsistency should be fixed and indicated they would not concur with the current language for the affected provision until it is corrected. No formal roll‑call vote was recorded in the hearing; staff said they would prepare a correction for the committee to approve.

Ending: Committee directed staff to correct the inconsistency and return amended language for committee consideration.","Staff and a DHHS attorney identified a drafting inconsistency in bill 2070: one section lists physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists while a definition later references only the attending physician; committee asked staff to not concur on that portion so it can be corrected.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097943,"Committee discusses tighter limits, paperwork changes in medical marijuana edible bill",87,878000,965000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826221-16ff6c81489bcde6043f5059c0cf1071&start=878&end=965","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826221-16ff6c81489bcde6043f5059c0cf1071/thumbnail_878000.jpg","/articles/6097943/North-Dakota/Committee-discusses-tighter-limits-paperwork-changes-in-medical-marijuana-edible-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097943-4e98b4032228157a78a60e3203063ff2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042313&Signature=V6V9vAk71oHcNL2Xwga7WYI6HvBYe7KkGatFJCT8VlnQEl0xoj2TmljE1S9ftrhbe6WWB1pS-OSWPRGaq6c1M-3pUsVc6XTTjUJSCUepDmvZKOjl3dmFOQ~rBEmlobbLaMg2Irocd~P5zgLfdA32rFN3TqQViYSgXWtDArjTDBVs6gsrKKNd~Y-IdUzBeDqG8QO4sFXX7URPBIZlG0KewzSl3Be7O530ZS5lQxn0JZX8At4udAg-uLRjH24ce5XZVgPqjy2mX~f7TV39FEH5V3Hv3AOXHXSzrmNBkzqSeKnJuiyBcgW3hnEYTfyfNmEezrkrgsJi6XEh1Eip3U4Ktw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Human Services Committee reviewed amendments to a medical marijuana bill that address edible dosing and purchase limits.

Senator Hogan noted the committee previously considered a version that allowed 5 milligrams per edible and said the house proposal had raised that to 10 milligrams; committee staff and members reported the version before them kept a 5-milligram per‑dose standard and added a monthly purchase limit based on 5 milligrams per day. Members said the changes tightened earlier language and removed a provision that had allowed self‑certification without medical records.

Senator Clemens and others asked technical questions about earlier references to larger total milligram amounts; a committee member summarized the change as making the bill “a little stricter” than what the committee had sent to the House. The committee did not record a formal roll‑call vote in the transcript but several members indicated informal concurrence and noted a conference committee would be required to resolve remaining differences with the House.

Ending: Committee scheduled follow‑up work (conference committee) and planned to continue discussion in subsequent meetings.","Committee members reviewed amendments to a medical marijuana bill that narrowed edible dosing and added purchase limits; members described the updated language as technically minor and in some cases stricter than the committee's earlier version.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Human Services committee moves to study gaps in care for children with severe behavioral health needs

Committee flags language inconsistency in bill on rights of health‑care facility residents

Committee discusses tighter limits, paperwork changes in medical marijuana edible bill