The North Dakota Legislature’s House chamber.
Tom Stromme
North Dakota House budget writers have increased funding for a state addiction treatment voucher, money the full House OK’d on Wednesday.
The $4.48 billion two-year budget for North Dakota’s Department of Human Services, House Bill 1012, passed 73-21. The state’s largest agency budget now goes to the Senate.
The 2015 Legislature created the voucher, which is used to cover gaps in people’s abilities to access services close to them. For example, someone in a rural town who lives far from a publicly funded state human service center could use a voucher to obtain services from a local private provider.
The 2019 Legislature budgeted $8 million for the program, and it ran out after a year. Officials were able to patch the funding with federal money.
Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, said this year’s bill has $12 million for the voucher, a $4 million increase.
In addition, the bill would allow up to three $1 million grants to establish outpatient treatment facilities in underserved areas of the state, such as the Williston area, Nelson said. “Not one dollar” of the voucher was used there, he said. People had to go to Fargo for treatment.
“We want to bring treatment to the people. Travel is a big item for many people, families,” Nelson told the Tribune.
