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

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…