Senate Bill No. 2030 Summary

• Creates tribal health districts and public health departments, allowing Indian nations with reservations bordering more than four counties to form health units with collaboration requirements for bordering public health units.

• Amends definitions throughout North Dakota Century Code chapter 23-35 to include tribal boards of health, tribal councils, and tribal health departments as eligible entities for establishing public health units.

• Exempts tribal health districts from the two-year operational requirement and voter petition process for dissolution; allows dissolution by tribal council or governing body at any time.

• Modifies regional public health network requirements to consist of at least two public health units serving minimum population of 15,000 or minimum three public health units, with specified shared administrative functions and core public health activities.

• Appropriates $700,000 to the state department of health for the 2013-2015 biennium to plan or establish regional public health networks, with maximum spending of $250,000 per network; requires semiannual reporting on tribal public health unit pilot project status.