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 workforce, preventative care like healthy eating, and incorporating more technology.

He says the program focuses on strengthening rural health care by improving access, quality and health outcomes for rural communities over the next five years.

“This program only works if North Dakota taxpayers have confidence in how we’re spending the money. It needs to be authorized and appropriated quickly. We need to be responsible stewards and track it closely. And it needs to have a tremendous impact on the well-being of our citizens,” said Armstrong.

Two bills to address free or reduced school meals for students will also be considered this week.

The special session is expected to end on Friday.