[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6085770,"mediaKeyId","2902204-21031a1f8b542dd15795e8705b4d7567","parentId",2902204,"title","Senate committee amends HB1566 into study on kratom regulation, backs amended bill","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2964000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2902204-21031a1f8b542dd15795e8705b4d7567&start=2964&end=2964","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2902204-21031a1f8b542dd15795e8705b4d7567/thumbnail_2964000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6085770/North-Dakota/Senate-committee-amends-HB1566-into-study-on-kratom-regulation-backs-amended-bill","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085770-d4cd4ac49f2ef3183db7703f4ab0250b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123511&Signature=DgaDJELcsTb7VzbUrAWzLXsrutbNEdOv5Wd1HBl2SpPi0CpLjiWzGcRZvXGXVcIchtnqE-9ocAqptnm1e21ET3asuSro4ESopg7ASN-TDZJJ~RRIAeGQNaY~ELh2m8AouUqeG1EAdogA6~7vIlHZ5AAKe68TH96KQ3utOoiNiEw21tGVtoyPSyBzWLDeOE5SZ~YKNPQtWmtd1stWo2rifp9RiUSDzb821KB1QoB3BjjTzO40zmCdIUmIlsFa1u0ZuTDiK6tN3ZCXWzmjU9GZw4NsMoVckr0Ed3IFu70RNIyQJxmyu3E1IahD9B21EdpL3-TF-FN40b0W8Tt9pMFmvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to change House Bill 15 66 into a study of kratom regulation and then recommended a do-pass on the bill as amended. Representative Dan Johnson presented the measure and witnesses from state agencies described competing estimates for administrative resources and revenue projections.

Representative Dan Johnson said the bill grew out of earlier efforts to consider scheduling kratom and that stakeholders—including distributors and users—favored a regulatory framework rather than a ban. \"It seemed unwarranted to schedule the drug,\" Johnson said, arguing regulation would address adulteration and protect consumers.

The bill as drafted initially included an administrative structure and a fiscal note. Committee testimony described differing agency estimates: the Department of Health initially estimated eight FTEs and a larger appropriation, while the Department of Agriculture recommended two FTEs and lower costs. The bill also included proposed licensing and registration fees in draft language—examples noted in testimony were a $50 kratom product retail license and a $25 product registration fee—and the fiscal note referenced an $80,000 revenue estimate against substantially larger startup costs shown on the note.

The Department of Agriculture representative told the committee that registration and licensing are intended to let regulators identify manufacturers, monitor labels and remove bad actors. The Agriculture witness said two staff would be needed to cover statewide inspections, registrations and labeling compliance; the commissioner also said existing inspection staff are busy and additional resources would be required to cover the new workload.

Agency testimony and committee discussion also addressed public-safety and public-health evidence. Witnesses noted the Food and Drug Administration does not currently schedule kratom and that federal analyses have not supported scheduling; committee witnesses said some adverse outcomes attributed to kratom involved multiple substances and complex circumstances. Representative Johnson referenced other states' approaches to kratom regulation and said users and distributors had asked for a regulatory model to ensure product purity and labeling.

Several senators expressed concern about committing to startup costs before further study. Senator Davison and others voiced support for converting the bill to a study to gather implementation details, revenue estimates and whether Agriculture or Health is the appropriate regulator. Committee members ultimately adopted language to convert the bill into a study and then moved a do-pass recommendation on HB1566 as amended; the committee called the roll and recorded a 5-0 vote in favor of the amended bill.

Ending: The committee approved moving the amended HB1566 to the next stage with a do-pass recommendation after converting it to a study; members said further work on fees, staffing and agency assignment should be informed by the study and fiscal analysis.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lawmakers amended House Bill 15 66 to convert it to a study of kratom regulation and then recommended a do-pass on the amended bill; testimony covered public-health concerns, potential licensing fees and whether Department of Agriculture or Department of Health should oversee regulation.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Human Resources Division, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28901,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6085775,"Senate Appropriations panel backs HB1425 to pilot prosecution-led diversion, deflection and pretrial services",2596,414000,3010000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2902204-21031a1f8b542dd15795e8705b4d7567&start=414&end=3010","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2902204-21031a1f8b542dd15795e8705b4d7567/thumbnail_414000.jpg","/articles/6085775/North-Dakota/Senate-Appropriations-panel-backs-HB1425-to-pilot-prosecution-led-diversion-deflection-and-pretrial-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085775-f364a3f1cba35ffba6704786476de444/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123511&Signature=mamQf7Dsl1xXVzuAbOCdGiLypa7s7wR8xbfIAhn8kIkbEUEMzsrcpNOszAVPUBopWe8mohNNUB9HKfEwANrqVYH2gAeNs8Y7LcmESkdVpBbf6-8Az24ZQdlI8my7cHqj8V8VsE1Z07eR4YSaeYn9njhgeHUZbdI3-B7tdU2r4w87zfZfsOZQxPEEr91-n2H~YrgXcF1ykCySosITISbE91omA~g3nQ5Qzgd8cCckyAcwNC6fPKKNguufzQHCBkMQJBlK9GhbWHOI5sDqYZvdc15E4vM2iWuri1vhNUqqlgJ5S1fGvrCJH9t8K1B2fSPyfIwVABRXhBGRJ1xNfjTRwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, members recommended a do-pass on House Bill 14 25, a criminal-justice package bill that would expand prosecution-led diversion, authorize community deflection programs and fund a three-county pretrial services pilot. The bill includes a $1,000,000 appropriation to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) for one full-time equivalent (FTE) and contracting, $750,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for treatment services, and $55,000 for a study of pretrial services.

The bill sponsor, Representative Killeen, told the committee the measure \"targets the front end of reentry\" by strengthening diversion, deflection and pretrial programs so returning justice-involved people can access supervision and services outside of incarceration. He said the bills are intended to \"serve public safety, make the best use of our overcrowded prison and jail beds,\" and noted North Dakota's recidivism rate is about 40 percent and the state prison is operating over capacity (discussed in testimony as about 112 percent of capacity).

The measure would codify Rule 32.2 of the North Dakota Rules of Criminal Procedure to clarify the prosecution-led diversion process and require written guidelines and eligibility criteria where counties adopt such programs. Section 3 would permit DOCR to provide supervision for participants; Section 4 would create a three-county pilot for supervision; Section 6 requests $1,000,000 to DOCR for one FTE and contracts with third-party providers to monitor compliance and connect participants to behavioral health services; Section 8 requests $750,000 for DHHS to provide treatment services; Sections 5 and 7 address pretrial services and fund a $55,000 study of cost savings and outcomes.

Travis Fink, Executive Director of the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigence, described the three program distinctions the bill addresses and explained pretrial services \"is simply someone as a condition of bond or bail can be ordered to participate in pretrial services, which is essentially pretrial supervision while they're out in the community.\" Fink said deflection is a separate process in which someone is not charged and is instead connected to services rather than booked into jail.

Committee members asked about eligibility, prosecutorial discretion and the role of local stakeholders. Representative Killeen and witnesses emphasized the programs are prosecutorially initiated and court-approved, not mandatory: \"it's at the initiation of the prosecutor\" and the court must approve the diversion agreement, the sponsor said. Senators pressed whether violent crimes would qualify; Killeen said the rule contains criteria and he \"would doubt it\" would be used for violent offenses, though the rule does not explicitly prohibit it.

Members also questioned the appropriation language and whether the FTE was authorized; legislative counsel language in the bill was discussed and committee members noted the authorization text appears on page 4. Committee members asked which counties would participate; the bill leaves selection to DOCR and witnesses said Cass County had expressed interest. Several senators suggested a pilot would allow evaluation before statewide expansion.

On a procedural motion, Senator Maggroom moved a do-pass recommendation on HB1425, seconded by Senator Cleary. The committee called the roll and the motion carried. Recorded votes included Senators Clary (aye), Davidson (aye), Chairman Deaver (aye), Magrum (aye) and Mathern (aye). The committee instructed the bill be carried to the full committee and referred back to the policy committee for further action.

The bill package sponsor pointed to prior study work and stakeholder support, including the governor's office, DOCR, DHHS, Job Service North Dakota, the North Dakota State's Attorneys Association and the North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigence. Supporters framed the pilot as a front-end investment to reduce recidivism and limit future prison expansion costs.

The committee discussion focused on implementation details—who would contract for services, how DOCR and DHHS would coordinate, the limits of prosecutorial discretion, the pilot county selection process and the fiscal language authorizing funding and the FTE. The committee left those implementation details to be clarified in the next stages of the process.

Ending: The committee carried HB1425 forward with a do-pass recommendation and directed that the bill be placed before the full committee and returned to policy for follow-up; staff and witnesses indicated further technical fixes and implementation details would be addressed as the bill progresses.","The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended a do-pass on House Bill 14 25, a package bill that would authorize prosecution-led diversion, establish deflection processes, and fund a three-county pilot for pretrial supervision and services.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate committee amends HB1566 into study on kratom regulation, backs amended bill

Senate Appropriations panel backs HB1425 to pilot prosecution-led diversion, deflection and pretrial services