All Roll Calls
Yes: 254 • No: 12
North DakotaSB 21132025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
AN ACT to create and enact two new sections to chapter 50-06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to certified community behavioral health clinics and the financing of health and human services; to amend and reenact section 12.1-04-06, subsection 4 of section 20.1-03-04, sections 25-03.1-03.1 and 25-03.1-04, subsection 3 of section 25-03.1-08, section 25-03.1-10, subsection 3 of section 25-03.1-11, subsection 1 of section 25-03.1-19, subsection 2 of section 25-03.1-26, subdivision b of subsection 2 of section 26.1-36-08, subdivisions c and d of subsection 2 of section 26.1-36-09, subsection 9 of section 43-12.1-04, subsection 6 of section 43-41-02, subdivision b of subsection 1 of section 44-04-18.30, sections 50-06-01, 50-06-01.4, 50-06-01.7, 50-06-05.1, 50-06-05.2, 50-06-05.3, 50-06-05.4, 50-06-05.5, 50-06-06.2, 50-06-06.5, and 50-06-06.13, subsections 1 and 3 of section 50-06-15, sections 50-06-33 and 50-06-41.3, subsection 1 of section 50-06-42, subsection 1 of section 50-06-42.1, and sections 50-06-46, 50-06.2-01, 50-06.2-02, 50-06.2-03, 50-06.3-02, and 50-06.3-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the powers and duties of the department of health and human services, treatment hearing timelines, and membership of the cross-disability advisory council; to provide for a legislative management study; and to provide an expiration date.
Sponsored By: Senate Human Services
Signed by Governor
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
16 provisions identified: 10 benefits, 4 costs, 2 mixed.
Home and savings protected in eligibility
For services under North Dakota's chapter 50-06.2, your primary home does not count toward resource limits. The first $50,000 of your liquid assets also does not count. You must still meet the program's other eligibility requirements.
Guardians can seek children's residential care
Legal guardians and parents with legal and physical custody can seek out-of-home treatment without transferring custody just to get care. The child must qualify for Medicaid and have a serious emotional disorder. The health department must approve treatment. The placement must be solely to get services for the child's emotional or behavioral problems.
State clinics take on coordinated care
State-operated behavioral health clinics replace regional human service centers in service delivery roles. Clinics must provide eligible people outpatient care, crisis help, rehabilitation, referrals, and support after inpatient care. The department may offer planned services through clinics or human service zones, using state eligibility rules. For people with serious and persistent mental illness, access no longer must go through a regional center; funding remains appropriation-dependent. The department must maintain a state mental health plan that state clinics, the State Hospital, and contracted services follow.
Clinic clients can skip fishing licenses
State-operated behavioral health clinic clients under direct therapeutic care can fish without a resident fishing license. Patients must be identified, and the department must authorize the institution to use the exemption.
Service recipients may earn council stipends
The health department may pay stipends to people receiving assistance or services through programs it administers or supervises. Their service providers may also qualify. Payment is for serving on a council or board and depends on legislative funding. The law sets no stipend amount and does not guarantee payment.
State clinics handle treatment screening
State-operated clinics take over specified screening, referral, and investigation roles in competency and involuntary-treatment cases. Screening takes place in the region where the person is located, in person when reasonably practical. Clinics also screen and approve requests for State Hospital examinations. A court may consider a clinic for a competency exam only after confirming that an inquiry found suitable resources there. Sharing protected health information without permission remains subject to federal substance use record protections.
Meals allowed for residential clinic staff
The health department can carry out its duties through state-operated behavioral health clinics instead of regional human service centers. During an operational disruption, it may provide meals at fair value or free to staff in 24-hour residential units. Employees' job assignments must require the meals. Providing meals is optional, not guaranteed.
More counselors qualify for clinic roles
People with a master's or doctoral degree in counseling specializing in mental health can serve as state clinic counselors or therapists. They cannot present themselves to the public as social workers.
Care providers must report open beds
Covered public and private residential and inpatient behavioral health providers must join the state's bed management system. They must report bed availability daily, except for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and geropsychiatric facilities. Geropsychiatric facilities must report weekly and within 48 hours after a bed opens. These reports help care providers identify available placements.
Vouchers and grants support addiction treatment
Licensed substance use treatment programs can receive voucher reimbursements within legislative funding. State-operated clinics and hospital- or medical clinic-based withdrawal management programs are excluded; regional centers are no longer separately named as excluded. Eligible programs with fewer than 17 beds in department-designated underserved areas may compete for one-time grants. Grant recipients must sign agreements, support treatment in underserved areas, provide required data, and follow program requirements.
Patients and families face clinic charges
The health department may charge fees and expenses for state-operated behavioral health clinic services. Fee scales may account for ability to pay. Patients, their estates, and their spouses are liable for applicable charges. Parents are also liable for care provided before the patient's 18th birthday.
Some treatment hearings allow longer waits
Specified involuntary-treatment hearing deadlines increase from four to five days, excluding weekends and holidays. After emergency custody or detention, a preliminary hearing is generally due within five days. Exceptions include release, voluntary admission, requested or agreed continuances, and a magistrate's good-cause extension. Without a required preliminary hearing, the five-day deadline starts when the court receives the examiner's report. That hearing must occur no later than 14 days after petition service.
Court-ordered care faces limits and appeals
Specified court orders for available treatment at the State Hospital or Life Skills and Transition Center must follow state treatment laws. Through June 30, 2027, this covers listed juvenile-court orders as well as criminal-case orders. After that date, both statutory subsections specify criminal-case orders. The health department may appeal district- or juvenile-court orders requiring it to provide services or perform duties.
Schools lose required simulation training resource
The health department no longer must include evidence-based online simulation training in mental health resources for school coordinators. It must still provide information about warning signs, suicide risk factors, and community resources. The law does not require a replacement training program.
Broader privacy coverage and agency sharing
Certain confidentiality rules now cover protected health information and personal identifying information received or created by the health department. The information must relate to program services, assistance, applicants, providers, or recipients and meet the law's other confidentiality criteria. The department may also share identifiable program information within and between divisions to help provide its services. This authority overrides specified state confidentiality restrictions, but federal privacy rules still apply. This provision does not require people to submit new information.
Community clinics face new certification rules
Public, private, and state-run clinics can earn a state designation for comprehensive mental health and substance use care. Community behavioral health clinics must be certified, and the department must assess need at proposed locations. It may deny applications based on need, or deny or revoke certification for breaking certification rules. State-operated clinics serve areas designated by executive order 1978-12, dated October 5, 1978, and may operate with a license or certification. The department must request accreditation and certification resources, subject to legislative approval, and may use accreditation as a licensing basis.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Senate Human Services
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/28/2025
Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 83 nays 6
Yes: 83 • No: 6
Senate vote • 4/25/2025
Second reading, passed, yeas 43 nays 2
Yes: 43 • No: 2
House vote • 4/1/2025
Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 85 nays 3
Yes: 85 • No: 3
Senate vote • 2/14/2025
Second reading, passed, yeas 43 nays 1
Yes: 43 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Filed with Secretary Of State 05/02
6/11/2025HouseSigned by Governor 05/02
5/2/2025SenateSent to Governor
5/1/2025SenateSigned by President
5/1/2025SenateSigned by Speaker
5/1/2025HouseSecond reading, passed as amended, yeas 83 nays 6
4/28/2025HouseConference committee report adopted
4/28/2025HouseReported back from conference committee, in place of, placed on calendar
4/25/2025HouseSecond reading, passed, yeas 43 nays 2
4/25/2025SenateConference committee report adopted
4/25/2025SenateReported back from conference committee, in place of, placed on calendar
4/25/2025SenateConference committee appointed Stemen Wagner Holle
4/9/2025HouseConference committee appointed Weston Hogan Van Oosting
4/9/2025SenateRefused to concur
4/9/2025SenateConference committee appointed Weston Hogan Van Oosting
4/7/2025SenateRefused to concur
4/7/2025SenateReturned to Senate (12)
4/2/2025SenateSecond reading, passed as amended, yeas 85 nays 3
4/1/2025HouseAmendment adopted, placed on calendar
3/31/2025HouseReported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 23 0 0
3/28/2025HouseRereferred to Appropriations
3/19/2025HouseReported back, do pass 10 0 3
3/19/2025HouseCommittee Hearing 02:30
3/12/2025HouseIntroduced, first reading, referred Human Services Committee
2/18/2025HouseReceived from Senate
2/17/2025House
Bill Text
Adopted by the Senate Human Services Committee
Enrollment
FIRST ENGROSSMENT
FOURTH ENGROSSMENT
FOURTH ENGROSSMENT with Conference Committee Amendments
FOURTH ENGROSSMENT with House Amendments
INTRODUCED
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for House Appropriations Committee
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Committee
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Senator Hogan
SECOND ENGROSSMENT
THIRD ENGROSSMENT
Related Bills
SB 2390, AN ACT to create and enact three new sections to chapter 54-40.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a rural catalyst committee, grant program, and fund; to amend and reenact section 54-40.1-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to definitions for regional planning councils; to provide an appropriation; and to provide for a transfer.
HB 1298, AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 39-06.1-06, 39-09-02, 39-09-04, and 39-09-07.1, and subsection 2 of section 40-05-06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the amount of statutory fees, speed limitations on multilane highways, variable speed limits, alteration of maximum speed limits on state highways, speed zone reduction limitations, and city fines and penalties; to provide for a legislative management report; and to provide a penalty.
HB 1229, AN ACT to create and enact a new subdivision to subsection 2 of section 39-06.1-06 and section 39-10-71.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to statutory fees for traffic offenses and a motor vehicle owner's responsibility regarding a driver who flees a peace officer; and to provide a penalty.
SB 2147, AN ACT to create and enact a new subsection to section 15-10-38.4, a new subsection to section 15-62.4-03, a new section to chapter 15-62.4, and a new subsection to section 15-62.5-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to student financial assistance grants, dual-credit tuition scholarships, and the scholars program; to amend and reenact sections 15-10-38.1, 15-10-38.2, 15-63-05, and 15.1-21-02.6 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the skilled workforce student loan repayment and scholarship programs, Native American scholarships, and the North Dakota scholarship; and to provide an appropriation.
SB 2018, AN ACT to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the department of commerce; to provide an appropriation to the attorney general; to provide an appropriation to the department of career and technical education; to provide an appropriation to the state fair association; to provide a contingent appropriation; to create and enact a new section to chapter 54-60 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to department of commerce grant reporting requirements; to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 10-30.5-02, sections 54-60-09, 54-60-19, 54-60-28, 54-60-29, 54-60-29.1, and 54-60-31 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the purpose of the North Dakota development fund, duties and talent strategy of the division of workforce development, the uncrewed aircraft systems program, the uncrewed aircraft systems program fund, the beyond visual line of sight uncrewed aircraft system program, and changing the name of the office of legal immigration to the global talent office; to authorize a Bank of North Dakota line of credit; to provide for a transfer; to provide an application; to provide an exemption; and to provide for a legislative management report.
SB 2014, AN ACT to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the industrial commission and the agencies under its control; to create and enact a new section to chapter 6-09 and a new subdivision to subsection 2 of section 38-08-04.5 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a rail revolving loan fund and uses of the abandoned oil and gas well plugging and site reclamation fund; to amend and reenact subsection 7 of section 6-08.1-02 and sections 6-09-35, 6-09-46.2, 6-09.7-05, 6-09.14-04, and 49-17.1-02.1, subsection 1 of section 54-17-40, and subdivision a of subsection 4 of section 54-17.7-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, and section 15 of chapter 14 of the 2023 Session Laws, relating to confidential and exempt records of the Bank of North Dakota, the rebuilders loan program, loan guarantees through the strategic investment and improvements fund, interest rate buydown limits for the partnership in assisting community expansion fund, department of transportation review and approval of rail projects, uses of the housing incentive fund, North Dakota pipeline borrowing authority, and a salt cavern underground energy storage research project; to repeal section 3 of Senate Bill No. 2188, as approved by the sixty-ninth legislative assembly, relating to a transfer from the strategic investment and improvements fund to the clean sustainable energy fund; to provide a deficiency appropriation; to provide for a transfer; to provide an exemption; to provide for a legislative management study; to provide for a legislative management report; to provide for a report; to provide an effective date; and to declare an emergency.