Committee hears bill to extend involuntary mental‑health hold from 24 to 72 hours

The House Human Services Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 2,171, which would extend the maximum emergency involuntary hold used for mental‑health or substance‑use assessments from 24 to 72 hours, sponsors and witnesses said Tuesday.

Senator Tim Mathern, sponsor and senator from District 11 in Fargo, told the committee the bill was drafted at the request of mental‑health and law‑enforcement professionals to address delays that often make a 24‑hour hold impractical in rural North Dakota. "There is a need to update the involuntary hold and treatment statute," Mathern said, and he asked the committee for a due‑pass recommendation on the amended bill.

Supporters — including hospital leaders, law enforcement and medical associations — told committee members that travel times, the need for lab tests and current clinical practice make…