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Sponsor urges study of health care services in county jails, citing uneven care and funding gaps
Summary
Sen. Judy Lee introduced Senate Bill 21‑91 to authorize a study of health care services in local jails, saying services vary widely by county and some jurisdictions cannot afford basic care; committee members pressed for clarity on medical staffing, behavioral health coverage and federal Medicaid suspension rules.
Senator Judy Lee, R‑District 13, opened a hearing on Senate Bill 21‑91, proposing a legislative study of health care provided in local jails across North Dakota.
Lee told the committee that while the state covers Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) health costs for state prisons, county jails’ health services are inconsistent and often limited by local budgets. She said some counties with large amounts of tribal land collect less property tax and therefore have fewer resources to fund jail health care.
Lee said the bill would fund a study, not an immediate mandate, to identify minimum acceptable services and to determine whether the state should support counties that cannot afford necessary care. She emphasized continuity of care — for example, ensuring that people on hepatitis C treatment or behavioral‑health medications continue therapy while incarcerated — because lapses can lead to relapse and costlier hospital care.
Committee members asked operational questions. Representative Kiefer asked whether the measure would require physicians to be stationed in jails; Lee said the study would not expect physicians at every facility and that care could be provided by local advanced practice nurses or physician assistants. Representative Belts asked whether mental‑health services were part of the proposal; Lee said behavioral‑health services are currently delivered through human service zones, which are transitioning to certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) and could extend services to jails in their regions.
Lee also noted recent federal changes allowing Medicaid to be suspended rather than terminated during incarceration, which can ease re‑entry access to coverage; she suggested consulting Medicaid staff for technical detail. The sponsor and witnesses asked the committee to authorize the study to identify variation across counties and options for state assistance.
The hearing closed with no committee vote recorded.
