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Senate advances wide range of measures; major appropriations, licensing and tech bills pass while health and septic bills fail
Summary
The Senate considered dozens of bills April 11 in Bismarck, passing funding for a statewide food-bank facility and multiple licensing and technology measures, rejecting a proposed expansion to septic oversight and a breast-screening insurance mandate, and laying over a debated kratom regulatory bill.
The Senate met in Bismarck April 11 for a lengthy floor session that produced a mix of new law, studies and defeats across public health, education, commerce and technology topics.
A package of bills advanced: lawmakers approved a $10 million one-time state appropriation to help the Great Plains Food Bank build a larger statewide distribution center, approved a broad cosmetology licensing modernization measure, and enacted new rules governing law-enforcement use of robots and unmanned systems. Lawmakers also passed a grant-authority measure allowing the Department of Commerce to fund regional planning councils and advanced several other measures transferring or clarifying state program responsibilities. Several bills failed, including expanded septic-system oversight and a proposal to require additional diagnostic breast screenings at no cost share for PERS plans.
Why it matters: The votes affect state spending priorities, public-health coverage for state employees, licensing and inspection responsibilities for small businesses, and how modern technology may be used by law enforcement. Some outcomes — notably the food‑bank appropriation and robot-use rules — carry direct program or operational effects; others were referred to study, delaying policy choices.
The most consequential items
Great Plains Food Bank: The Senate approved House Bill 11-43 to provide a $10 million one-time appropriation from the Strategic Investments and Improvements Fund to assist the Great Plains Food Bank in Fargo build a new, larger distribution facility. Senator Todd Burkhart, who presented the bill, said the bank serves all 53 counties and has outgrown its current site; the project is backed by a $30.5 million capital campaign with an expected $20 million in private fundraising and a $10 million remaining gap. The bill passed 37-9 with 1 absent.
Cosmetology licensing overhaul: House Bill 11-26, carried by Senator Axman, passed 45-1 with 1 absent. The bill creates new license categories (including an advanced aesthetician category and a legacy/volunteer status), updates…
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