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Committee hears plan to move North Dakota Children's Cabinet to governor's office (Senate Bill 2176)
Summary
Senate Bill 2176 would transfer administration of the state's Children's Cabinet from the Department of Health and Human Services to the governor's office, add designated working groups, and rely on an existing governor's budget line item for $65,000 to support facilitation and ongoing services.
Senator Michelle Axman told the House Education Committee she sponsored Senate Bill 2176 to relocate administration of the North Dakota Children's Cabinet to the governor's office and to update the cabinet's membership and operations. The sponsor said the bill restructures membership provisions, allows the presiding officer to establish designated working groups, and removes the requirement for the bill's funding to appear in the bill itself because the expense was included in the governor's budget.
Lieutenant Governor Michelle Strindan, who served as chair of the Children's Cabinet, testified in support. Strindan said placing the cabinet within the governor's office “will place additional focus on the cabinet and accelerate progress for children and families.” She described a strategic planning effort and said the governor's budget provides $65,000: $30,000 for facilitation consultants and $35,000 for ongoing supportive services.
Megan McCann of the Forum for Youth Investment reviewed national examples of children's cabinets and said cabinets located in governors' offices often have more stability and capacity for strategic planning. McCann described the Forum's role in helping North Dakota develop a strategic plan and said strong cabinets typically identify metrics for child well‑being, coordinate cross‑agency work, and convene working groups.
Kim Jacobson, vice chair of the North Dakota Children's Cabinet and director of a human service zone, said the designated working groups will enable focused study by subject matter experts and improve coordinated responses to complex child welfare, juvenile justice and education issues. She noted the cabinet was established in 2019 and finalized a strategic plan in 2024.
Committee members clarified that the $65,000 appropriation is in the governor's budget (House Bill 1001) and that the committee bill itself will carry no fiscal note because section containing funding will be removed. Members also asked about the cabinet's scope; testimony framed “children” to include ages from infancy through 18 and stressed that a multidisciplinary approach can reduce systems conflict and improve outcomes.
No opposition testimony was recorded during the hearing. The committee closed the hearing after receiving multiple supportive witnesses and the lead author's explanation of the bill's amendments and next‑step fiscal placement.
