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(KXNET) — Suicides in the state are at an all-time high — but a bill in the legislative session is trying to bring those numbers down.
House Bill 1390, if passed, would establish a Suicide Fatality Review Commission to address the growing number of suicides in North Dakota. According to Representative Karla Hanson, the purpose is to prevent any and all suicides in the state.
“If you look at the numbers of people who have died by suicide, North Dakota is at an all-time high,” explained Rep. Hanson. “We had 159 people die by suicide in 2022. And even if you look at these numbers adjusted by population, North Dakota also has a very serious problem with suicide. We’re the 14th worst in the nation.”
If the bill is signed into law, the executive director of the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services would be in charge of choosing who could be on the commission. Members could include mental health professionals, law enforcement, tribal nations, and schools, among many others.
Hanson says the commission would look at cases and see if they could be addressed beforehand with policies, practices, and services.
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“The commission would investigate what was happening in those individuals’ lives — 30 days, 60 days, 90 days — before the death happened,” stated Hanson. “They would look for things that didn’t happen or should have happened, and look for both protective and risk factors.”
Hanson says she is part of a coalition in Cass County to prevent suicide and believes a statewide organization could make a big impact.
“Currently, we are looking at how we can make a bigger impact with suicide prevention,” Hanson said. “One of our ideas was to expand this type of work to the entire state of North Dakota.”
House Bill 1390 has already passed in the House and is making its way through the Senate now. However, a hearing date has not yet been set.
Anyone currently in a crisis situation can dial 988 for immediate 24/7 assistance.
