Senate unanimously passes a package of bills on protective orders, education, utilities and land management

The North Dakota Senate passed a series of House bills and one concurrent resolution on March 12, adopting measures on protective orders, sentencing alternatives for addiction-treatment programs, virtual learning policy, a special-education funding study, revisions to the 1‑call excavation law, a bridge naming, and a request to Congress about national grassland management. Final tallies recorded 47 yeas, 0 nays on each final-passage vote noted below.

Why it matters: Several of the measures make procedural clarifications for courts and school districts (affecting victims' protection orders and virtual learning enrollment), create a legislative study of special education funding, clarify when excavations must be reported to the 811 one-call system, and express the legislature's preference about federal management of national grasslands. The bridge-naming honors a Korean War veteran.

Votes at a glance (final passage outcomes and key points)

- House Bill 14-26 — Passed 47-0. Creates and enacts a new section to chapter 24-01 of the North Dakota Century Code to designate the bridge on State Highway 6 between County Road 137 and 50 Third Street as the CPL Raymond Porter Korea Bridge; includes a continuing appropriation and emergency clause. The Transportation Committee reported a unanimous due-pass recommendation. Senator Paulson described Corporal Raymond Porter’s actions in Korea and noted his posthumous awards and burial at Minokan Cemetery.

- House Bill 13-36 — Passed 47-0. Amends sections of the North Dakota Century Code to clarify that a judge may impose a no-contact or protection order for an alleged victim from the time a case is heard through sentencing or dismissal; the bill specifies that orders will have a termination date and may be modified by written request from the alleged victim or defendant. Senator Castaneda reported unanimous committee support.

- House Bill 13-13 — Passed 47-0. Related clarifying changes to allow a judge to impose a no-contact or protection order during a period of deferred sentence and to provide sentencing alternatives that include addiction treatment programs for driving-under-the-influence violations. Senator Castaneda presented the measure as a companion to HB 13-36.

- House Bill 15-29 — Passed 47-0. Adds individuals certified by the Peace Corps director as having completed Peace Corps service to those eligible for resident tuition in North Dakota higher-education institutions. Senator Wawba Ma reported a 6-0 education committee recommendation and noted the bill’s minimal fiscal impact.

- House Bill 11-05 — Passed 47-0. Amends school-district virtual learning policies to clarify district oversight, allow districts to require registration aligned with course schedules, permit prerequisites for sequential virtual courses, and allow districts discretion over whether to fund virtual-course retakes; the sponsor said the bill balances student choice with district planning and safeguards. Senator Axman answered a question on whether the bill’s intent includes increasing access to courses for students in smaller districts.

- House Bill 15-47 — Passed 47-0. Creates a legislative interim committee to study special education funding during the 2025–26 interim and requires a legislative-management report. Senator Beard described required study topics (student contracts, high-cost students, residential placement) and the committee’s membership structure (eight legislators plus a mix of special-education directors, coordinators, superintendents and business managers).

- House Bill 11-53 — Passed 47-0. Amends subsection 7 of section 49-23-01 of the North Dakota Century Code to better define “excavation” within the 811 one-call excavation-notice system, clarifying that excavation includes a broad set of earth-moving activities and refining exemptions for shallow agricultural/landscaping activity, cemetery graves, paved-road maintenance and railroad trackbed maintenance; the Industry and Business Committee recommended a do-pass.

- House Concurrent Resolution 30-24 — Passed (voice). A concurrent resolution urging the U.S. Congress to transfer management of national grassland property in North Dakota from the U.S. Forest Service to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Senator Bridal said the change would better suit local operations and reforestation efforts.

Other procedural actions and amendments

- House Bill 15-51 — A proposed amendment related to registration and labeling language for regulated beneficial substances (biostimulants and inoculant material) was adopted; the Ag and Veterans Affairs Committee reported a unanimous due-pass on the bill with technical corrections requested by the Agriculture Department.

- House Bill 11-27 — A proposed amendment was adopted that removed language allowing persons to request reinstatement after three years from a final prohibition order affecting financial-institution employment; the sponsor said financial institutions opposed the reinstatement provision as undermining consumer confidence. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Proceedings and next steps

Roll call at the start of the session recorded 47 senators present and a quorum. The Senate took the required roll votes for each final-passage item and closed the roll for each tally as described above. Several measures carry routine implementation steps (committee reports, agency rule or administrative updates) that were not specified in detail on the floor.

The Senate adjourned and scheduled a memorial service for March 13 at 12:30 p.m.; the chamber will reconvene afterward as announced on the floor.