A conference committee on Senate Bill 21-12 voted to accept House amendments that add a Department of Health and Human Services study on placement options for children in crisis and clarified how emergency placements at the Life Skills Transition Center are being reimbursed.

Representative Anderson, speaking for the House members, said, “Our amendment is to provide for a Department of Health and Human Service study.” The committee passed the motion to accept the House amendments after a voice and roll-call vote.

The study language added in the House would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to examine where children who are not otherwise eligible for certain residential placements receive care and whether regional resources are adequate. Committee members said the study is intended to fill information gaps while other bodies, including the children’s cabinet, continue broader system reviews.

Senator Hogan framed the issue around screening changes for psychiatric residential treatment facilities, saying the state implemented a new screening protocol in July and that questions remain about “what happens to kids who don't meet the screening criteria.” Hogan and other members said the committee hopes the study and concurrent data analyses will inform longer-term plans for regional resources and alternatives to long-term placement at LSTC.

Sarah Acre, identified as executive director of the Division of Medical Services at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, told the committee that LSTC is a licensed intermediate care facility and that, to date, children placed there emergently have met criteria for intermediate care facility (ICF) admission. “We use Medicaid dollars to reimburse for ICF costs,” Acre said. She added that if a child did not meet ICF criteria, the department would explore other federal funding streams (including a referenced "4(e) dollars" with federal match) and, only if all other sources were exhausted, state general funds — the source cited in the committee’s fiscal note.

Committee members and staff discussed fiscal figures during the meeting. A fiscal estimate was referenced in two different places: a line identifying the fiscal note as "87009 69" (interpreted in discussion as $87,009.69) and another exchange referring to $4,000 and $2,000 for technology items. Committee members directed staff to sort those details outside the floor discussion; the transcript does not provide a definitive, single fiscal-note number for the final amendment package.

The motion to accept the House amendments was moved by Senator Hogan and seconded by Senator Weston. Roll-call responses recorded in the committee were: Senator Lee — Aye; Senator Weston — Aye; Senator Hogan — Aye; Representative Anderson — Yes; Representative Belk — Aye; Representative Rios — Yes. The committee chair announced the motion passed.

Committee members repeatedly described LSTC placement as an emergency, short-term option only, not intended to be permanent, and said they hope the March report and ongoing reviews will reduce reliance on such placements. Members also encouraged continued cross-agency coordination through the children’s cabinet and data analysis of recent screening and placement trends.

The conference committee adjourned after completing the vote and assigning a Senate carrier for the bill.