North Dakota Senate passes package of bills on tenant fees, virtual currency, mitigation easements and emergency-vehicle penalties

Bismarck — The North Dakota Senate on a floor day moved a broad set of bills to final passage, approving measures that affect tenant payment fees, virtual currency and unclaimed property, environmental mitigation authority tied to wind development, and penalties for incidents that injure emergency responders.

The most immediate actions included House Bill 11 49, which modernizes the state—s unclaimed property law to cover virtual currency and carries an emergency clause, and House Bill 1,400, which expands authorities related to conservation easements and leaseholds to implement environmental impact mitigation created in last session and also carries an emergency clause. Both bills passed on final reading.

Why it matters: the package updates statutes and administrative authority in areas that intersect with housing costs, digital assets and wind-energy mitigation obligations — areas that state officials said required legislative clarity this session.

House Bill 11 49: virtual currency as unclaimed property Senator Behn, presenting for the Industry and Business Committee, said the bill amends the revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act to recognize virtual currency as a form of unclaimed property, establishes a three-year dormancy period, and requires holders to liquidate virtual currency before remittance to the state to reduce volatility. The Senate passed the bill 44-0 with three absent; the committee also carried an emergency clause.

House Bill 1,400: environmental impact mitigation and easements Senator Van Osteen, speaking for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, described the bill as follow-up statutory authority to implement mitigation processes enacted last session related to wind development. The bill authorizes the environmental impact mitigation fund to earn interest and allows the agricultural commissioner to enter easements and leaseholds necessary to carry out mitigation agreements. The measure passed on final reading 43-1 with the emergency clause carrying.

Senate Bill 21 32: increased penalties for careless driving that injures responders Senator Romo described Senate Bill 21 32 as a response to incidents where emergency vehicles or persons assisting on the roadside are struck. House amendments that the Senate concurred with raised a careless-driving fee from $30 to $100 and increased the damage threshold for reporting from $1,000 to $4,000 to match existing reporting law; the bill passed on final reading 43-1 with three absent.

Housing and tenant payment fees Senator Klein presented House Bill 16 10, which adds a new section to chapter 47-16 of the North Dakota Century Code to prohibit certain lease provisions that charged tenants additional fees for paying by check, money order or cash. Klein noted testimony from a disability-advocacy organization supporting the bill because it would prevent added costs for tenants who cannot use electronic payment methods. The bill passed 44-0.

Other notable measures - House Bill 10 86: Consolidates the fire prevention and public safety fund into the insurance regulatory trust fund and authorizes fee structures to make the cigarette certification program self-sustaining; passed 44-0. - House Bill 10 94: Expands eligibility for discretionary special allocation big-game hunting licenses to include veteran nonprofit organizations; passed 43-1. - House Bill 13 14: Establishes rules for mobile barbershops with sanitation and inspection standards; passed 41-3. - House Bill 14 01: Clarifies how cities may use exclusive and nonexclusive real estate listing agreements, requires a website public-notice period (14 days) when the city has a website and sets competitive-selection criteria for exclusive listings; passed 44-0. - House Bill 13 46: Grants counties authority to regulate off-highway vehicles and provides penalties; passed 44-0. - House Bill 11 74: Creates educational and community outreach programs in the Game and Fish Department aimed at youth participation; passed 44-0. - Senate Bill 22 07: Expands a motor vehicle excise tax exemption to tribal governments within reservations; passed 41-3.

Process notes and other business The Senate adopted several committee amendments to House bills (for example, technical and appointment changes on House Bill 15 68 and tenure-review clarifications to House Bill 14 37) and placed amended bills on the calendar for later consideration. The body also laid over House Bill 16 15 for one legislative day on a motion by Senator Klein. Senator Klein moved to excuse the absences and moved that the Senate adjourn until 1 p.m. Monday, March 24; both motions carried.

Votes at a glance (final passage tallies as recorded on the floor) - House Bill 16 10 (prohibited lease provisions related to payment methods): 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed. - House Bill 10 86 (cigarette ignition/certification fund consolidation and fee authority): 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed. - House Bill 11 49 (unclaimed property, virtual currency; emergency clause): 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed; emergency clause carried. - House Bill 14 01 (transfer of real property by exclusive/nonexclusive listing agreements): 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed. - House Bill 10 94 (discretionary special allocation hunting licenses: add veteran nonprofits): 43 ayes, 1 nay, 3 absent — passed. - House Bill 11 74 (Game and Fish educational outreach programs): 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed. - House Bill 1,400 (conservation easements/mitigation; emergency clause): 43 ayes, 1 nay, 3 absent — passed; emergency clause carried. - House Bill 13 46 (county authority to regulate off-highway vehicles): 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed. - House Bill 15 78 (motor vehicle excise tax exemption for abandoned vehicles to aid towing companies): 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed. - House Bill 13 14 (mobile barbershop requirements and inspections): 41 ayes, 3 nays, 3 absent — passed. - Senate Bill 21 32 (careless driving causing injury to operator/occupant of authorized emergency vehicle): 43 ayes, 1 nay, 3 absent — passed. - Senate Bill 22 07 (motor vehicle excise tax exemption for tribal governments): 41 ayes, 3 nays, 3 absent — passed.

What’s next The Senate will reconvene at 1 p.m. Monday, March 24. Bills placed on the fourteenth order of business are scheduled for further floor action per the chamber calendar.

Sources: North Dakota Senate floor proceedings (transcript excerpts: presentations, committee recommendations, recorded roll-call tallies).