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Read. Follow. Verify.North Dakota restricts public foster care funds to licensed facilities and sets caregiver criminal and welfare screening rules
Last action · March 19, 2025: Filed with Secretary Of State 03/14
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What This Bill Does
North Dakota prohibits state, county, and local government entities from using public funds for foster care in unlicensed facilities, while allowing limited nonfederal funding for temporary and unlicensed relatives. The law also authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to deny or revoke facility licenses based on false application information, regulatory violations, recent child removal court findings, or relevant criminal convictions.
Child welfare agencies, unlicensed relative caregivers, and foster care facility operators face stricter oversight regarding licensing conditions, funding eligibility timelines, and background disqualifications.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Department of Health and Human Services
The department gains explicit authority to enforce licensing restrictions, grant temporary exceptions for shelter care and relative placements, and deny or revoke licenses based on background and welfare criteria.
Unlicensed relatives and kinship relatives
Unlicensed relatives are restricted to receiving nonfederal maintenance payments for a maximum of six months.
Foster care facilities and operators
Facilities face increased scrutiny and potential license denial or revocation for regulatory violations, false statements, or disqualifying background convictions.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can public funds be used for unlicensed foster care placements?
What grounds does the department have to revoke a foster care facility's license?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
15 actions- Mar 19, 2025Filed with Secretary Of State 03/14
- Mar 18, 2025HouseEnrolledSigned by Governor 03/14
- Mar 13, 2025HouseEnrolledSent to Governor
- Mar 13, 2025HouseSigned by Speaker
- Mar 12, 2025SenateSigned by President
- Mar 10, 2025HouseReturned to House
Show 9 earlier actions
- Mar 7, 2025SenateFloorSecond reading, passed, yeas 47 nays 0
- Mar 7, 2025SenateCommitteeReported back, do pass, place on calendar 6 0 0
- Feb 11, 2025SenateCommitteeCommittee Hearing 09:45
- Feb 5, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, first reading, referred Human Services Committee
- Jan 17, 2025SenateReceived from House
- Jan 16, 2025HouseFloorSecond reading, passed, yeas 92 nays 0
- Jan 15, 2025HouseCommitteeReported back, do pass, place on calendar 13 0 0
- Jan 13, 2025HouseCommitteeCommittee Hearing 03:45
- Jan 7, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced, first reading, referred Human Services Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
ndlegis.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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