[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6349570,"mediaKeyId","2238313-ed430d55fda4d276387414300e45451e","parentId",2238313,"title","Committee hears testimony on HB 1597 to adjust rural ambulance grant formula","audioSeconds",658,"startMs",144000,"endMs",802000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2238313-ed430d55fda4d276387414300e45451e&start=144&end=802","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2238313-ed430d55fda4d276387414300e45451e/thumbnail_144000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6349570/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-testimony-on-HB-1597-to-adjust-rural-ambulance-grant-formula","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349570-bbc1614bfab1a906512f08f27a6a5e30/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448339&Signature=gB-PrQ6hhY43Anr~sHFDtSySn7vUlGafXb8~yiDmzg50C0q3KzLUfztCNnSZsX3lh3pr~eQA~cA3hV8kC9co-hYFO8UCcWjahGDk7UaIbONVKbk~N1UAs5RHabiIgxNPDekeL0ZxQw6mhAhicgxewbilpL4Oj0zzsVgPtMjZuu7SpQnKeG5ahL1QOxiZIWO6t4M6lCro4BQFwFphys8uRPt8KSWYj~1R4PIlwWmBfJkDatEeul-5mrwv0PTVSc6OoDnHobvyKqEjyuOj7y~CejRPK3hV9T7vyogbPCzlqX60uf9B-89SQ2f06G2mR0UvXSGyTrR8wiLzDfNFoapfxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of North Dakota","date","2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","article","House Human Services Committee members heard testimony on House Bill 1597 on ambulance funding, a bill Representative Pat Heinert said would revise how the state's rural ambulance assistance grant is distributed.

The bill \"is a ambulance bill to assist ambulances in some payment on a number of runs they make and other things,\" Representative Pat Heinert, District 32, said when introducing the measure (Rep. Heinert, testimony, 00:02:45). He told the committee an amendment was expected that would address concerns raised by some ambulance services.

Why it matters: The bill would change elements of the formula the Department of Health and Human Services uses to distribute a fixed appropriation for rural ambulance support. Witnesses said the appropriation itself does not change under the bill; the proposal changes who qualifies and how funds are split.

Bill Kalanick, representing the North Dakota EMS Association, described the bill as a periodic refinement to a formula that the legislature renews every two years. He said the average per-run figure used in the formula was updated in the draft to reflect current costs and that the proposal removes or changes eligibility language carried in previous session law. \"This only substantive change in in subsection 1... the calculation of the average run, which went from... $17.50 to $20.23 as an average run,\" Kalanick said (Bill Kalanick, testimony, 00:04:02).

Kalanick and other supporters described two central changes in the draft amendment he submitted: deleting language that would have excluded operations owned and operated by cities, counties or rural ambulance service districts (a deletion that could allow privately owned ambulances to qualify in the future) and raising the threshold for runs-per-year used in eligibility calculations from 700 to 1,000 runs. Kalanick said the 1,000-run figure was selected because recent mergers and changing call volumes had left some districts just over the old 700-run cutoff and back under the cutoff at different points.

Committee members pressed for data. Representative Barr asked whether committee staff could get a list of ambulance services that currently would be eligible under the 700-run and 1,000-run thresholds; Kalanick said he could provide that report by email (Bill Kalanick, QA, 00:10:01). Representative Fegley asked how many services would be affected by distance and low-run counts; Kalanick said he did not have those numbers on hand but again offered to provide a calculation to the committee.

Tim Blaso, president of the North Dakota Hospital Association, testified the association supports HB 1597 as amended; he said some critical-access hospitals operate ambulance services with fewer than 1,000 runs and that the amendment would preserve support for those services (Tim Blaso, testimony, 00:11:40).

Key context and limits: Witnesses repeatedly said the bill changes distribution of an existing, fixed appropriation and does not increase the total appropriation. Kalanick said the appropriation was accounted for in the Human Services budget and that the change only alters how the money is distributed among eligible operations.

Discussion vs. decision: This hearing was for testimony and committee questions. The committee closed the hearing on HB 1597 with no formal committee vote recorded on the bill during this meeting.

Ending: Supporters offered to supply the committee with detailed eligibility lists and calculations; the committee did not vote on HB 1597 during this session and the bill will appear again in later work sessions where members can consider the staff reports and amendment language.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Human Services Feb 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Human Services Committee members heard testimony on House Bill 1597, which would revise the formula and eligibility for the state's rural ambulance assistance grant.","taxTitle","Human Services, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28893,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349561,"Human Services Committee advances several bills and adopts amendments in evening session",2841,5430000,8271000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2238313-ed430d55fda4d276387414300e45451e&start=5430&end=8271","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2238313-ed430d55fda4d276387414300e45451e/thumbnail_5430000.jpg","/articles/6349561/North-Dakota/Human-Services-Committee-advances-several-bills-and-adopts-amendments-in-evening-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349561-db66754232f833affbb14fcbaff452da/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448339&Signature=naRNUb9Tajul~tKCl6WI39~xiKFsi37txaPuIctD-0x0Ac~Mwc7jcwsMlevnrPSNhnAcQma9KiBr~HLhqesvmbHLy1Es0poRBnbH3BEB~dM~fna2qMNW618eXAZKRG0GzaCiSIIOksODbZCiY9Pp29SszSSR39HQr-TC28fBvpd4g78q6ORifa4hJc5gaaVHPndWSH~oj7OMOaI6u1q739bO1WXt9Kz5GYbfwCJ9dTcqQFSb7ORobKuhS~qJ9~cr8ANM-EPWESVYXtjtVIsvYV3Q1XI-t7m6lIFXeXEmg2e3WYhIqqJ6MnydcacfamcxpUqQWC3aKPQdd~oKfgzhUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","After the day's hearings the House Human Services Committee handled bill work, adopted amendments and recorded roll-call votes on multiple measures. The committee approved some measures for further consideration and rejected others.

Votes at a glance (recorded in committee transcript):

- Study Bill 1543: Motion to give a due pass and place on the consent calendar (mover: Rep. Dovervich; second: Rep. Anderson). Clerk recorded unanimous support; motion carried 11-0.

- House Bill 10 68 (as amended): Committee adopted two amendments (one from Representative Nathie and an attorney general's office amendment) and then moved HB 1068 as amended to pass (mover: Rep. Rohrer; second: Rep. Balinski). Roll call recorded the motion carried 11-0.

- House Bill 15 48 (life skills and transition center): A motion for a due pass and referral to appropriations failed on roll call; a subsequent motion for a do-not-pass recommendation carried 9-2.

- House Bill 14 68 (adolescent and youth behavioral-health facility): Motion for due pass and referral to appropriations carried on roll call; Representative Roehrer agreed to carry the bill to appropriations.

- House Bill 11 44 (restroom/school statute amendments): Committee adopted sponsor amendments, then approved the bill as amended; final roll-call carried 8-3.

- House Bill 13 21 (manufacturing/possession limits and fees): Committee adopted sponsor amendments that adjust allowable possession amounts and extend some renewal periods; committee voted to due pass and re-refer to appropriations as amended (final roll-call passed 6-5).

Procedure notes: The transcript shows amendment adoption votes and recorded roll-call tallies for each motion. Several measures were amended in committee before the final motions. Some items were placed on the consent calendar; others were referred to appropriations for fiscal review. Committee members raised fiscal and implementation questions on several measures during discussion before voting.

Ending: The committee adjourned for the night after completing the evening's bill work; most measures that were moved will proceed to appropriations or the consent calendar per the recorded motions.

","During bill work the committee adopted amendments and moved multiple measures (study bills and bills referred to appropriations); roll-call results were taken on a number of items and several motions carried while others failed; this item summarizes motions recorded in the transcript.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349565,"Witnesses urge repeal of North Dakota HIV criminalization law in House Human Services hearing",3450,1546000,4996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2238313-ed430d55fda4d276387414300e45451e&start=1546&end=4996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2238313-ed430d55fda4d276387414300e45451e/thumbnail_1546000.jpg","/articles/6349565/North-Dakota/Witnesses-urge-repeal-of-North-Dakota-HIV-criminalization-law-in-House-Human-Services-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349565-33270682e17c81b264273e743d2f4ff1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448339&Signature=nFTPuKc1KLr1hKq7tLKdCwGCrt5w2tWXUv~dNZuXxvP9P1VPpB0kVrHLEiTGbRswajdE0Bg8MgU6-DT7oCqdVlzYHIU4OkY4TJ1aFjMq3YcVmB02Z8eKV1lV8jR0cUH8LL7lUwOzy5FxjDIJLXlP9rOoziM3~z3t7ZJyU4uF8x4oSrkBx33m6BEn0JKGcgKqXN-Hp2Wwj4T7Sq4fDBN6PDQK8khwcLBWf~TYkHJ9zy7XXxrdyeyk14oI8AvmTLbCgp73OQOjRMWuhwuqmajHrp8qX0fwYrvGFdrVV1it7-vk9fK3x~RlbMAW3f1nVJSX3Aq8WRM3E9IEO~H7BsSoow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Human Services Committee heard extensive testimony in favor of House Bill 1217, which would repeal North Dakota Century Code section 12.1-20-17, the statute that makes willful transfer of body fluid containing HIV a felony.

Representative Gretchen Dobrovich, sponsor of HB 1217, told the committee the statute singles out HIV among infectious diseases and carries penalties up to a 20-year prison term and $20,000 fine. \"HIV is the only infectious disease that carries felony charges for knowingly infecting another person,\" she said in opening testimony (Representative Gretchen Dobrovich, sponsor testimony, 00:00:50).

Nut graf: Supporters — including public-health experts, civil-rights advocates and people living with HIV — said the law is rooted in outdated science and creates stigma that discourages testing, disclosure and treatment, undermining public-health goals. They urged the committee to recommend a due pass.

Cody Schuler of the American Civil Liberties Union testified the statute criminalizes health status rather than criminal conduct and argued the definition of \"transfer\" in the statute is overly broad. \"Laws that criminalize living with HIV fundamentally undermine the constitutional rights and dignity of individuals by penalizing them for a health condition rather than any criminal behavior,\" Schuler said (Cody Schuler, ACLU, testimony, 00:35:00).

Lindsay VanderBusch, director of the Sexually Transmitted and Blood-borne Diseases Unit at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, told the committee the law is \"based on outdated science\" and pointed to modern antiretroviral treatment that can render viral loads undetectable and untransmissible. She said repeal would reduce stigma and let public-health resources focus on testing and treatment rather than criminal enforcement (Lindsay VanderBusch, ND DOHHS, testimony, 00:39:21).

Other testimony included people living with HIV and advocates: Jason Grunek, executive director of a North Dakota HIV nonprofit and chair of the North Dakota HIV Advisory Board, and several clinicians and mental-health providers who submitted or delivered supportive testimony. Paul Mull, who said he was diagnosed with HIV in 1985, described how modern treatment and social supports allowed him to live and advocate for reducing stigma.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the law's mens rea (\"willful\") element, whether convictions exist under the statute, and what alternative statutes cover intentional harms. Representative Dobrovich said she had not found records of recent convictions under the statute despite multiple appearances of the bill in prior sessions. She said the law's willful-transfer language is rarely, if ever, prosecuted and that similar conduct can often be covered by general criminal statutes when there is malicious intent.

The ACLU and other witnesses said the statute's application can encompass conduct beyond actual transmission and noted the law provides narrow affirmative defenses (disclosure and prophylactic device use) that do not address modern prevention tools such as viral suppression and pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Decision status: The committee closed the hearing on HB 1217 after testimony and questions; there was no committee vote on the bill recorded in this meeting. Advocates said they would continue to submit written testimony and expert evidence for the committee record.

Ending: Supporters urged a \"due pass\" recommendation to modernize state law to reflect current science and to reduce stigma that they said impedes testing and treatment efforts.

","Supporters, including the bill sponsor, the ACLU and state health officials, told the House Human Services Committee that North Dakota Century Code section 12.1-20-17 is outdated, discourages testing and treatment, and does not reflect modern HIV science; the committee heard extensive testimony but took no committee vote during this session.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee hears testimony on HB 1597 to adjust rural ambulance grant formula

Human Services Committee advances several bills and adopts amendments in evening session

Witnesses urge repeal of North Dakota HIV criminalization law in House Human Services hearing