North Dakota Protection & Advocacy Project
Legislative Updates
The North Dakota Legislature meets every two years. The 61st Legislative Assembly will consist of 47 Senators and 94 Representatives. It will convene its regular session on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 following an organizational session held December 1-3, 2008.
The Legislature conducts work during the Interim by assigning committees to address studies prioritized by the Legislative Council. Interim committees often draft bills prior to the regular session.
Following are 2007-2009 disability-related studies that could potentially have a direct impact on people with disabilities:
| 2109 § 3 | study the state's long-term care system including capacity, geographical boundaries for determining capacity, the need for home & community-based services, a methodology to identify areas of the state which are in need of additional skilled nursing facility beds, access, workforce, reimbursement, and payment incentives (Long-Term Care Committee) |
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| 3022 | study the availability and future need for dementia-related services, as well as funding for programs for individuals with dementias (Long-Term Care Committee) |
| 4005 | study the feasibility and desirability of establishing a transition to independence program for young adults with mental illness (Long-Term Care Committee) |
| 2013 § 14 | study the provision of services to children & adults who are deaf or hearing-impaired, including: the role of the ND School for the Deaf in the provision of educational & rehabilitative services, the short-term & long-term viability of existing state facilities, and alternative approaches that might enhance the scope & breadth of service availability; the feasibility of combining the administration & delivery of services of the School for the Deaf with other area school districts, educational associations governed by joint powers agreements, special education units, and ND Vision Services - School for the Blind; and examination of alternative uses for the buildings on the School for the Deaf campus beyond the scope of the school's present mission (Higher Education Committee) |
| 2012 § 9 | study infant development programs, including a review of the state's lead agency agreement, service coordination, staffing & funding structure, including the adequacy of the funding & the equitable distribution of the funds to providers (Human Services Committee) |
| 4032 | study ways in which schools & school districts can train teachers, counselors, & all other staff to better identify high-risk students & provide programs designed to reduce the incidences of high-risk behaviors that can lead to suicide attempts (Education Committee) |
| 3063 | study the delivery and funding of veterans' services by the state and counties (Public Safety Committee) |
| 1299 § 2 | study the regulation & licensing of pharmacists in this state, including an examination of: the State Board of Pharmacy, the board's size, the manner of board membership appointment, & whether the board is representative of commercial & noncommercial pharmacists; the state's demographics & the impact changing demographics in rural areas will have on the ability of small, locally owned pharmacies to remain economically viable & of rural residents to access low-cost pharmaceuticals & pharmacy & pharmacists' services; pharmacy ownership restrictions, the relevance of those restrictions in terms of marketplace competition, & the impact of those restrictions on the price & availability of pharmaceuticals & on pharmacy and pharmacists' services; & statutory interplay between the board & the ND Pharmaceutical Association & whether the regulatory function of the board conflicts with the advocacy function of the association (Industry, Business, and Labor Committee) |
