[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6087226,"mediaKeyId","2891431-bef7068c4ce12dfad528d6f3fa5d1f28","parentId",2891431,"title","Committee amends bill on hard‑to‑place youth, creates Children's Cabinet work group and two‑year sunset","audioSeconds",3069,"startMs",176000,"endMs",3245000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891431-bef7068c4ce12dfad528d6f3fa5d1f28&start=176&end=3245","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891431-bef7068c4ce12dfad528d6f3fa5d1f28/thumbnail_176000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087226/North-Dakota/Committee-amends-bill-on-hardtoplace-youth-creates-Childrens-Cabinet-work-group-and-twoyear-sunset","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087226-a1b4c27eaee5907818690a94df093d1d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162208&Signature=godtVOl4euZ-1vKiDLIcGtXmT6muVbS5T0yK~ULGDrO3g5AnDe2AGWFGZHCP27KaZudpqF3alMz8JucT5bYB4xN~K9mVPiUz-BX0a-kdIUkxWqxqm2XYaPiRBLVWUrsURemrw1IeF0M0jGd8gx1gRIJ5JBcZAWQuz-i69PJ2qfoApE1Zv5cshUar4d61e10TeYTE5hy4ugwcMe2mF~M20BoLUMlXBHO6Sd58NOlXwYeDyU86X9BCT9E2F03~wQ3IR3j3v-qRFWqJWGW9Nr2IpU5hOj-84XbHs-toE3H24rKbhAO7TLpB9qUMA-rgzZG-wngeJiUeQzejDqq6gV7s4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","article","The North Dakota Senate Human Services Committee on a unanimous vote advanced an amended version of Senate Bill 1556 that directs the Children's Cabinet to convene a small work group to study and recommend solutions for out‑of‑home placement of children who intersect the child‑protection and juvenile‑justice systems.

The committee amended the bill to adopt language proposed by Department counsel and to add a new section establishing an 8–10 person work group that will report every other month to the Children's Cabinet. The amendment also includes a sunset provision for sections 1–3 set to take effect on Aug. 1, 2027. The committee voted 6–0 to adopt the amendment and then voted 6–0 to give the bill a do‑pass as amended recommendation to the floor.

Why it matters: Witnesses and committee members said the amendment is intended to create a forum where juvenile court staff, behavioral‑health providers, zone directors and other stakeholders can design placement options and services so children who require out‑of‑home treatment can get care in community‑based settings when possible.

Committee testimony included a point‑in‑time survey of human service zones conducted by Kim Jacobson of the Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone. Jacobson said that as of April 1, 2025, zones reported 50 youth in zone custody who also had delinquency histories; five of those youth were adjudicated incompetent and the remaining 45 were considered competent. Those 50 youth carried a combined total of 224 legal charges (18 unspecified for timing), an average of about 4.5 charges per youth. Types of charges reported included simple assault (55 counts), criminal mischief (28), disorderly conduct (24), runaway (10) and a range of violent felony and misdemeanor offenses.

\"We thought we'd be in the 20s, so that we hit 50 was remarkable to ours,\" Kim Jacobson said of the survey results. \"The magnitude and the complexity surprised even us as custodians.\"

Senators emphasized that the bill is intended to focus on the child's treatment needs rather than parents' child‑protection issues. Senator Hogan (committee discussion leader) framed the amendment as a collaborative first step: the work group would include juvenile‑court staff and behavioral‑health staff and be assisted by a consultant already working with the Children's Cabinet. \"The goal is maybe everybody can sit at the table and contribute what they can contribute so that we don't have one system saying it's your problem and then giving it away,\" Hogan said.

Several senators raised concerns about codifying current practice into statute. Senator Roers said she is reluctant to remove existing language that some parents must use now to access services, and proposed keeping the original section while adding the work group. Senator Hogan expressed concern that codifying current practice without a plan would force implementation before solutions are developed. As compromise language, the amendment accepted by the committee incorporates Department counsel's drafting on page 2, adds the Children's Cabinet work group as a new section, and places a sunset on the earlier sections.

Formal actions: the committee adopted the amendment (6–0) and then voted to give Senate Bill 1556 a do‑pass as amended recommendation (6–0). Committee members voting aye in the amendment and final votes were Senator Weston, Senator Roers, Senator Hogan, Senator Van Osteen, Senator Clemens and Senator Lee.

Next steps: Committee members indicated Senator Hogan is likely to carry the bill to the full Senate. The amended bill will proceed through the body and, if amended again in the House, likely to conference committee.

Ending: Committee members said the amendment is an initial, collaborative effort rather than a completed policy solution and that the work group is intended to design services and placement options that could reduce reliance on congregate or out‑of‑state placements.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Human Services Monday, Apr 7, 2025 10:05 AM - 11:50 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The North Dakota Senate Human Services Committee on a unanimous vote advanced an amended version of Senate Bill 1556 that directs the Children's Cabinet to convene a work group to study out‑of‑home placement for children who intersect the child‑protection and juvenile‑justice systems, and added a sunset date of Aug. 1, 2027.","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},6087221,"Senate Human Services Committee advances parental‑presence bill after heated debate; committee moves measure without recommendation",2827,3403000,6230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891431-bef7068c4ce12dfad528d6f3fa5d1f28&start=3403&end=6230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891431-bef7068c4ce12dfad528d6f3fa5d1f28/thumbnail_3403000.jpg","/articles/6087221/North-Dakota/Senate-Human-Services-Committee-advances-parentalpresence-bill-after-heated-debate-committee-moves-measure-without-recommendation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087221-87254716e0901d63249f373b907ff455/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162208&Signature=aThIdPmUyXcXLmj5Ff5mN7-Ywpeiblw7Y9pVO7DNo3c3c2i7BOK6rfUmAOOq-Xs7j6T3tbVZGW7f9eFa-5D6X6~fOnNuKR-w4NRCRptmX5rmo8IytrLPVRVaJQajmrxRC84-BrmV0oTdsNyjpfqVuD0mybQT6DKFhftOzBXgT~f9SPVNT8uQr07ZD-vkXM01EltEZEBuu~zwNcm7kkhkWFwScGNAz4ztD6MugkCULncw0bkkq~tQnOoy5WUWLyc1zPnSPtnKCnvQp65b7GllyYPKj-lnrqgvtHWM7nZAb423BlaE7JOFU39OyZqP5jsw6gRxvq3yExGetShggnAvGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Dakota Senate Human Services Committee on Feb. 9 considered House Bill 1450, a measure addressing whether a parent or guardian may be present during certain medical examinations of minors and what exceptions apply. After multiple amendment attempts and sustained debate about child safety and parental rights, the committee moved the bill out without committee recommendation.

The bill's committee consideration included competing amendments. One amendment (02/2006) corrected a statutory cross‑reference and initially included the word \"neglect\" in the list of exceptions that would allow a provider to ask a parent to leave. After tie votes and additional negotiation, committee members proposed a compromise amendment that removed the word \"neglect\" from the exceptions and focused the carve‑out on suspected physical abuse, sexual abuse and human trafficking. The committee recorded a final procedural motion to move the bill without committee recommendation; the motion carried on a 6–0 committee vote.

Why it matters: Proponents said parents are entitled to be present and that the bill protects parental rights and family trust in health care encounters. Opponents warned that keeping parents in the room could prevent victims from disclosing abuse or trafficking, and urged narrow exceptions and careful drafting to preserve forensic exams, mandatory‑reporting processes and other existing legal protections.

Key testimony and debate: Kim Jacobson (zone director) summarized federal and state definitions distinguishing abuse and neglect and warned that neglect is a broad category that can include failure to provide food, shelter or medical care; she said neglect accounts for a large share of child‑welfare reports. \"Neglect can include...failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment,\" Jacobson testified, citing the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act explanation provided from a child‑welfare factsheet.

Senator Wilson (committee member) argued for prioritizing child protection in cases of suspected abuse or trafficking, saying health professionals sometimes need a private moment with a minor: \"If the parent is in the room, they may not want the parent to know about that right now,\" Wilson said, recounting experience with specialty pediatric care.

Senator Weston and others argued to preserve parental rights and to avoid creating statutory language that unintentionally overrides existing implied‑consent or emergency exceptions in code. Senator Weston said the intent of the compromise amendments was to \"protect good parents\" while preserving statutory exceptions already in law.

Formal actions: The committee considered competing amendments and ultimately moved House Bill 1450 forward without recommendation. Recorded committee votes on amendment motions were split at times (3–3 ties on competing motions), but the final procedural motion to move the bill without recommendation passed on a recorded 6–0 vote. The committee also instructed staff and counsel to correct statutory references in the draft.

Next steps: The bill will advance from committee to further floor action and possibly conference; committee members suggested further refinement may occur in conference committee.

Ending: Committee discussion highlighted the tension between parental rights and the need to preserve forensic and mandatory‑reporting procedures for suspected abuse; sponsors said they expect further negotiations as the bill moves forward.
","Committee split over child safety and parental rights; the panel ultimately moved House Bill 1450 out of committee without recommendation after votes and amendment negotiations, including removal of the word \"neglect\" from a carve‑out and debate over statutory cross‑references.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee amends bill on hard‑to‑place youth, creates Children's Cabinet work group and two‑year sunset

Senate Human Services Committee advances parental‑presence bill after heated debate; committee moves measure without recommendation