---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 5 of section 27-20.3-01, and sections 27-20.3-15 and 27-20.3-21 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a child in need of protection and termination of parental rights; to create a workgroup under the children's cabinet to study out-of-home placement or treatment of children with behavioral health issues; to provide for a report; to provide an expiration date; and to declare an emergency."
description: "Relating to a child in need of protection and termination of parental rights; to create a workgroup under the children's cabinet to study out‑of‑home placement or treatment of children with behavioral health issues; to provide for a report; to provide an expiration date; and to declare an emergency."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nd"
legislature: "North Dakota Legislative Assembly"
session: "69"
identifier: "HB 1556"
citation: "North Dakota HB 1556 (69)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Gregory Stemen"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 21
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2025-01-20"
last_action: "2025-04-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/53a8a489-063a-40b8-8075-418e4867807a"
source_url: "https://ndlegis.gov/api/assembly/69-2025/data/bills.json"
source_hash: "1799756583372f5467e7ceefdf3b336bee07a7309f0cb58a1b99e07c04ea9d40"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nd"]
---

# North Dakota HB 1556 (69) — AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 5 of section 27-20.3-01, and sections 27-20.3-15 and 27-20.3-21 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a child in need of protection and termination of parental rights; to create a workgroup under the children's cabinet to study out-of-home placement or treatment of children with behavioral health issues; to provide for a report; to provide an expiration date; and to declare an emergency.

Relating to a child in need of protection and termination of parental rights; to create a workgroup under the children's cabinet to study out‑of‑home placement or treatment of children with behavioral health issues; to provide for a report; to provide an expiration date; and to declare an emergency.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **INTRODUCED** (filed) — [source](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-1093-01000.pdf)
2. **Enrollment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-1093-04000.pdf)
3. **FIRST ENGROSSMENT** (committee substitute) — [source](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-1093-02000.pdf)
4. **FIRST ENGROSSMENT with Senate Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-1093-03000.pdf)

## Votes

- Motion for Final Passage on HB 1556 — **46–0** (pass) · upper
- Motion for Final Passage on HB 1556 — **91–0** (pass) · lower
- Motion for Final Passage on HB 1556 — **90–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Gregory Stemen — primary (person)
- Emily O'Brien — cosponsor (person)
- Jared C. Hagert — cosponsor (person)
- Jason Dockter — cosponsor (person)
- Jon O. Nelson — cosponsor (person)
- Judy Lee — cosponsor (person)
- Kristin Roers — cosponsor (person)
- Kyle Davison — cosponsor (person)
- Mike Beltz — cosponsor (person)
- Mitch Ostlie — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-01-20** Introduced, first reading, referred Human Services Committee `introduction`
- **2025-01-27** Committee Hearing 10:20
- **2025-02-19** Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 13 0 0 `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-20** Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- **2025-02-21** Second reading, passed, yeas 90 nays 0, Emergency clause carried `passage, reading-2`
- **2025-02-24** Received from House
- **2025-03-07** Introduced, first reading, (emergency), referred Human Services Committee `introduction`
- **2025-03-12** Committee Hearing 10:15
- **2025-04-07** Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 6 0 0 `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-08** Laid over one legislative day
- **2025-04-09** Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- **2025-04-09** Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 46 nays 0 `passage, reading-2`
- **2025-04-09** Emergency clause carried
- **2025-04-09** Returned to House (12)
- **2025-04-17** Concurred
- **2025-04-17** Second reading, passed, yeas 91 nays 0, Emergency clause carried `passage, reading-2`
- **2025-04-21** Signed by President
- **2025-04-22** Signed by Speaker
- **2025-04-22** Sent to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-04-24** Signed by Governor 04/23 `executive-signature`
- **2025-04-25** Filed with Secretary Of State 04/23 `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/53a8a489-063a-40b8-8075-418e4867807a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official North Dakota legislature records).