PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota House passed a proposal on Monday to require the statewide expansion of a crisis hotline designed for people in a mental crisis or struggling with addiction issues, but the House and Senate are at odds over who should pay for the bulk of its funding.
The Senate passed a version that would require the state to pay for counties to establish hotlines, but the House version puts most of the financial burden on counties, pitching in 50 cents of state funding for every dollar that counties put towards their hotline.
Rep. Linda Duba, a Sioux Falls Democrat, said the funding was important to expanding the hotline to rural counties.
The difference will be settled this week.
The bill is part of a series of bills looking to bolster the state’s mental health resources.
