Senate clears wide range of bills; key measures on schools, public safety and state funds pass

The North Dakota Senate completed floor action on a large package of House and Senate measures, approving bills on school policy, state budgets and program funding while rejecting a proposal to decriminalize small marijuana possessions.

The votes resolved a mix of policy and appropriations measures. Major approvals included House Bill 1556, creating a Children’s Cabinet work group on out-of-home placement for children with behavioral health issues (46-0); House Bill 15 33 requiring a half-unit of financial literacy for high school graduation (46-0); House Bill 10 16, the Adjutant General/National Guard budget (46-0); House Bill 13 63, a cardiac emergency response plan template requirement for schools (41-5); House Bill 12 25 changing reckless endangerment/habitual offender penalties (26-20); and an appropriation authorizing a NAGPRA compliance grant program for tribes (House Bill 16 03, 46-0). The Senate rejected House Bill 15 96, which would have decriminalized certain small marijuana possessions (13-33).

Why it matters: the bills move policy priorities for schools, public safety and state programs toward implementation and, in some cases, create study groups or certification requirements. Some measures include emergency clauses or continuing appropriations that accelerate implementation.

Supporting details: vote tallies and short descriptions follow (excerpted from Senate roll calls and sponsor summaries recorded in the floor transcript).

Votes at a glance (bill — short description — final tally — outcome): - House Bill 15 56 — creates a Children’s Cabinet work group to study out-of-home placement/treatment for children with behavioral health issues; emergency clause — 46 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent not voting — passed. - House Bill 13 63 — requires Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Public Instruction to develop a customizable cardiac emergency response plan template; includes liability protections; amended to make certain elements permissive — 41 ayes, 5 nays, 1 absent not voting — passed. - House Bill 15 33 — requires 0.5 unit of financial literacy for high school graduation (may be incorporated into other courses) — 46 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent not voting — passed. - House Bill 10 16 — appropriation for the Office of the Adjutant General/National Guard (budget described as ~$345 million with ~75% federal funding per sponsor remarks) — 46 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent not voting — passed; emergency clause carries. - House Bill 11 62 — allows West Fargo’s mayor to be a voting member of Lake Agassiz Water Authority board — 45 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent — passed. - House Bill 13 03 — expands definition and enforcement steps for sanctuary policies; creates a sanctuary compliance fund tied to withheld state aid pending compliance — 41 ayes, 5 nays, 1 absent — passed. - House Bill 15 96 — would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana and reclassified certain possession cases; floor amendment passed (25–21) but final passage failed — 13 ayes, 33 nays, 1 absent not voting — failed. - House Bill 14 04 — updates qualification indicators for the North Dakota scholarship (no fiscal impact per fiscal note) — 45 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent — passed. - House Bill 14 16 — would have allowed two charitable gaming organizations to operate at same site; lost on final vote — 10 ayes, 36 nays, 1 absent — failed. - House Bill 12 63 — creates clearer pathway to seal criminal records for rehabilitated petitioners — 45 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent — passed. - House Bill 14 68 — appropriation for behavioral health facility grant (30-bed retrofit example cited by sponsor) — 42 ayes, 4 nays, 1 absent — passed. - House Bill 12 25 — changes to reckless endangerment and habitual offender provisions; fiscal note projects costs beginning in 2028 — 26 ayes, 20 nays, 1 absent — passed. - House Bill 16 03 — appropriation for NAGPRA compliance/grants to tribes (matching grant framework for five tribes) — 46 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent — passed. - Multiple Senate bills returned from the House were concurred, including Senate Bill 20 76 (prior authorization/certification for medically necessary medications for certain Medicaid children), Senate Bill 23 51 (school annexation notice/valuation rules), Senate Bill 21 43 (state energy research center fund/sunset), Senate Bill 23 34 (definition of alcoholic beverage establishment and legislative study), Senate Bill 22 69 (recall petition thresholds clarification), and others; roll call tallies are recorded in the floor transcript and listed in the clerk’s journal.

Ending: The chamber completed its business and adjourned to reconvene at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025.