Human Services Committee

Studies

(1097 § 1) Study the accessibility of state and local services for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing differences. The study must consider the requirements under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act providing for state and local government entities to communicate effectively with individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing differences and consider challenges or barriers to effective communication for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing differences when communicating with, including receiving information from and conveying information to, state and local government entities, and identify strategies for improving communication. The study must include input from the Department of Labor and Human Rights, Department of Health and Human Services, employees of the North Dakota School for the Deaf, individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing differences, information technology professionals, American Sign Language interpreters, and family members of individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing differences.

(1119 § 1) Study the laws, administrative rules, and policies relating to child care provider licensing. The study must include input from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Child Care Services Advisory Committee, and child care providers. If the program evaluation of Department of Health and Human Services child care services in Section 2 is selected by the Legislative Council, this study must be informed by the program evaluation.

(1119 § 2) Directs the Legislative Council to consider conducting a program evaluation of Department of Health and Human Services child care services. The program evaluation must include review and analysis of state and federal laws, administrative rules, and policies relating to child care; evaluation of the child care services framework, identifying strengths, challenges, and opportunities, including opportunities to streamline the administrative process, to enhance clarity for providers, and to provide services for more children; consideration of licensing requirements, the federal and state assistance programs available, education requirements for program operators, training and certification requirements for staff members, the number of children in an early childhood program, child to provider ratios, and square footage requirements; review and analysis of child care funding sources, expenditures, assistance penetration rates, and the distribution of resources to determine whether the program efficiently and effectively uses and distributes resources to support access to affordable and safe child care; and the review of recently enacted legislation regarding child care services to determine if the policies have been timely implemented and properly administered, including an analysis of measurable goals, performance data, and options to improve enrollment. The Legislative Council must report its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Management by August 1, 2026.

(2014 § 30) Consider studying homelessness in the state. The study must include a review of data and funding available to address homelessness, an analysis of the use of available funds to identify gaps and potential solutions, and input from homeless program service providers.

Reports

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services by October 1, 2026, regarding its plan to establish long-term structured residences. (2025 House Bill No. 1012 § 36)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services by September 1, 2026, of the department's findings and recommendations regarding its study of accreditation requirements and provider costs for serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (2025 House Bill No. 1012 § 49)

Receive reports from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding direct payments made to licensed child care providers to support high-quality early childhood care for infants and toddlers and the effectiveness of the direct payment program. (2025 House Bill No. 1015 § 21)

Receive a report from the Legislative Council by August 1, 2026, regarding the Legislative Council's findings and recommendations from its program evaluation of the Department of Health and Human Services' child care services. (2025 House Bill No. 1119 § 2)

Receive a report from the Child Care Services Advisory Committee by June 30, 2026, regarding the committee's review of child care licensing. (2025 House Bill No. 1119 § 3)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services every 6 months during the 2025-27 biennium regarding the number of ineligible children served by the Life Skills and Transition Center. (2025 Senate Bill No. 2112 § 11)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services by March 1, 2026, regarding the study of alternatives to placement at the Life Skills and Transition Center. (2025 Senate Bill No. 2112 § 12)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services by January 31, 2026, and August 31, 2026, regarding progress on the basic care study recommendations addressing the adult residential facility and basic care payment systems and the review of the asset limit for home- and community-based services aged and disabled waiver. (2025 Senate Bill No. 2271 § 3)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services by August 30, 2026, regarding the development of a payment model continuum for basic care, assisted living, and adult residential facilities. (2025 Senate Bill No. 2271 § 4)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services by October 1, 2026, regarding changes to medical assistance reimbursement of psychiatric residential treatment facilities for direct care costs, including the applicable costs related to clinical supervisions, medical directors, engagement of families in care, therapeutic leave days, an administrative cost cap, and progress toward value-based care. (2025 Senate Bill No. 2399 § 2)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services and the steering committee for developmental disabilities system reimbursement project on development activities and status information for the project. (NDCC § 50-06-37)

Receive an annual report from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the progress of the pay for success program developed by the department to improve educational, social, or emotional achievements of at-risk children, improve the health of children, and increase participation in the workforce by individuals who qualify for governmental assistance. (NDCC § 50‑06‑47)

Receive a report from the Department of Health and Human Services before August 1 of each even-numbered year, regarding provider reimbursement rates under the medical assistance expansion program. (NDCC § 50-24.1-37)

Receive a biennial report from the Department of Health and Human Services before August of each even-numbered year on the tribal health care coordination fund and tribal government use of money distributed from the fund. (NDCC § 50-24.1-40(4))

Receive periodic reports from the Department of Health and Human Services on the impact, usage, and costs associated with the family caregiver service pilot project. (NDCC § 50-24.1-47)

Receive annual report from the Department of Health and Human Services describing enrollment statistics and costs associated with the children's health insurance program state plan. (NDCC § 50-29-02)

Receive an annual report from the Children's Cabinet regarding the activities and findings of the Children's Cabinet and other designated working groups on children and family issues. (2025 Senate Bill No. 2176 § 1) (NDCC § 54-07-13)