Nearly 500 bills signed into law in North Dakota

BISMARCK — The end of North Dakota’s biennial lawmaking session is approaching, and nearly 500 bills have been signed into law by Gov. Kelly Armstrong.Here is a look at what changes to expect.

Health care and social issues Insulin costs will be capped at $25 monthly for North Dakota’s commercial insurance market after Armstrong signed House Bill 1114, which doesn’t apply to the self-insured market.Under signed Senate Bill 2352, mothers incarcerated at the Heart River correctional center will be allowed to live with their infants for the first 18 months of their lives.In the North Dakota Century Code, gender is now defined in the North Dakota Century Code as being male or female only.



House Bill 1217 was also approved. It repealed a decades-old state law that specifically gave harsher penalties to those who knowingly transmit HIV to another individual. No one had ever been prosecuted for the crime.

“We are happy that North Dakota’s laws will now become more fair, less discriminatory and will promote treatment and prevention rather than criminalization,” said Cody Schuler, advocacy manager for the American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota.Transparency House Bill 1319 requires the State Investment Board to maintain a publicly accessible website that lists all Legacy Fund Investments.The Legacy fund was created nearly 15 years ago as an ever-expanding piggy bank to supplement oil and gas revenue when the finite resource dwindles.

It’s valued at approximately $12 billion as of Jan. 31 — though its exact worth is uncertain after the fund lost around $1 billion in value in early April.“I love hunting, but North Dakotans shouldn’t have to hunt to find out where taxpayer dollars are being invested on their behalf,” Armstrong said when signing the bill.

Senate Bill 2069 allows notices of public meetings held by government entities to be placed on both the North Dakota Newspaper Association website and physical newspapers.Civil liabilityHouse Bill 1318 lifts liability from individuals who apply pesticides in accordance with the chemical’s approved labeling. A pesticide applicator could still be challenged in court if they ignored the label and over-applied.

After the bill was signed, Modern Ag Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson said in a release that the law “stands up” for farmers and preserves their access to “essential crop protection tools that keep farms competitive and grocery bills down.”Harsher liability requirements came under House 1561, which directs websites with a "substantial portion” of “harmful” sexual material to put in place an age-verification software.If a company fails to administer an age check, it could face civil penalties, according to the bill.

CrimeWhen a student survivor of sexual abuse attends the same school as their perpetrator, under now-signed House Bill 1247, schools are directed to establish a “safety” plan for the student survivor in the event the abuser is unable to transfer to another school.In an effort to protect survivors of sexual violence, lawmakers also sent Armstrong Senate Bill 2387, which he approved. The bill establishes the right for a survivor to have a privileged consultation with a third-party advocate while seeking justice.

When it comes to alleviating disputes between divorced parents, Armstrong signed Senate Bill 2186, aiming to launch a study to examine new, perhaps stricter, penalties for child custody violations.House Bill 1303 was also approved, barring localities from establishing "sanctuary city” policies — rules generally allowing local law enforcement to withhold certain information from federal immigration authorities when they don’t have a warrant.There are still hundreds of pieces of legislation awaiting final action.

The final legislative day is May 9. Have something to say? Readers with thoughts about this issue can contact their local legislators, testify in person, submit written testimony online, write a letter to the editor, leave a comment below or email Forum News Service reporter Peyton Haug at [email protected].

To track this bill, readers can download North Dakota Legislative Daily — a free app available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. ]]>.