US EditionNorth Dakota Lawmakers to Discuss Several Bills During Special Session
North Dakota lawmakers advanced bills allocating $398 million from federal Rural Health Transformation funds to improve rural health access, workforce, and preventive care initiatives.
- On Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, the North Dakota Legislature opened a three-day special session to allocate Rural Health Transformation funds and advanced House Bill 1623 to let HHS allocate $397.9 million over two years.
- With federal money arriving late last year, North Dakota received $198900K from CMS in late December under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, prompting spending this year.
- Lawmakers included measures to boost Health and Human Services initiatives, allow physician assistants from 20 other states to practice without relicensing, reinstate House Bill 1621, expand school meals, enable pharmacists to prescribe, and require physician nutrition education.
- With deadlines looming, North Dakota must contract 2026 grants by Oct. 31 or risk losing federal funds, Ista warned, urging quick action during the special session.
- To compete for additional federal money, North Dakota officials said more than 50% of the funds are slated for connecting rural residents to care, aiming to grow grants toward $1 trillion.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Governor Armstrong pushes rural healthcare bill in State of the State Address
BISMARCK, N.D. — The special session of North Dakota’s Legislature is underway and Gov. Kelly Armstrong opened it with a State of the State address. He urged legislators to pass a bill that would allocate federal funds for rural hospitals in North Dakota. The bill would appropriate $199 million in federal funding for a statewide Rural Health Transformation Program. In the federal application, the initiatives include stabilizing the healthcare wo…
North Dakota governor tells lawmakers to 'focus on hitting a home run' when spending rural health funds
BISMARCK — North Dakota has the chance to hit a home run as it prepares to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in access to rural health, Gov. Kelly Armstrong said. In an 11-minute State of the State address, Armstrong told North Dakota lawmakers Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Capitol that they have the opportunity to make North Dakota "the healthiest state in the nation." The state Legislature began a three-day special session Wednesday to alloc…
Gov. Says Rural Health Care Challenges in ND Demand Bold Action
BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota’s rural health care challenges demand bold action and new approaches, Gov. Kelly Armstrong said in a State of the State Address as the 69th Legislative Assembly convened in special session to appropriate nearly $200 million in federal funding for a statewide Rural Health Transformation Program. “This is a generational opportunity to not only improve how health care is delivered to our citizens, but …
North Dakota lawmakers to discuss several bills during special session
Lawmakers are meeting over at least the next three days to discuss how to appropriate funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. They will discuss four bills that are required for the state to receive the full $199 million.
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