Reed Raymond, market president for St. Alexius, told the committee House Bill 14-68 would provide capital funding to expand inpatient acute behavioral-health capacity in Bismarck.

Nut graf: St. Alexius asked the Legislature for state funding to expand from an 18-bed footprint to 48 inpatient acute beds focused on behavioral health. Hospital leaders said capital dollars would pay construction; ongoing operating costs would be covered by the hospital.

Raymond described the project as a multi-part effort. In initial remarks he said the full capital cost would be $60,000,000 for the larger program, but he later clarified the bill under consideration would request a $16,000,000 state contribution to remodel existing fourth-floor space and add approximately 23 new beds. "The $16,000,000 provide[s] for the remodel and for... an addition of 23 additional beds," Raymond said. He said the hospital planned a 12‑month schedule after passage and hoped to open by Oct. 1, 2026, if the funding was approved.

Sister Nancy Miller, director of mission integration at St. Alexius, said community health needs assessments repeatedly list behavioral and mental health as top priorities; the hospital is responding to that recurring need.

Pam Segnus of HHS Behavioral Health told the committee the state has no current plan to build an adolescent unit at the state hospital and called private-sector capacity-building a useful step to fill gaps in care.

Committee members asked implementation questions: whether the beds would serve addiction and mental‑health needs, how the new beds would fit into regional service networks (Williston, Dickinson), and how psychiatry access would be handled. Raymond and hospital staff said the new beds would provide acute inpatient services, not replace the state hospital, and that the hospital intends to use internal and telehealth psychiatry resources shared across the CommonSpirit network. He said roughly 30 of the 48 beds would be configured for adolescents and that LifePoint provided a market assessment showing unmet need in the central and western regions.

Senators also asked about operating timelines and whether the project would proceed without state funding. Raymond said the hospital could not proceed immediately without state funds; absent appropriations the project would be delayed and shifted to a capital campaign that could take two to four years.

Ending: The committee heard hospital testimony and questions but took no appropriation vote during this session. Senators requested additional information and coordination details with regional partners before further action.