North Dakota Senate approves wide range of House bills, defeats property-tax study

Bismarck — The North Dakota Senate on March 11, 2025, in a floor session in Bismarck considered and voted on a broad package of House bills spanning conservation, education, public safety, procurement and licensing, approving most measures and rejecting one high-profile tax study.

The meeting opened with a chaplain's prayer led by Pastor Paul Herr of Century Baptist Church, followed by a roll call that showed a quorum of 47 senators present. Senate members then moved through a long list of House bills, taking final passage votes on each.

Why it matters: The bills taken up touch multiple areas of everyday life across the state — from who serves on advisory boards that distribute conservation grants to rules for tattoo and body‑art businesses, options for school milk, retirement-plan changes for public employees, and procurement procedures used by state agencies. Many of the measures passed on largely bipartisan margins and will proceed to whatever next step remains under legislative process; one measure — a study of residential property taxation by square footage — was defeated.

Key measures and debate highlights

- Outdoor Heritage Advisory Board. Senator Van Oosting, speaking for the Transportation Committee on House Bill 15 54, described the bill as updating the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund advisory board. "House bill 15 54 adds the Department of Water Resources to the board as an advisory non voting member," he said. The bill also revises the definition of quorum to address scheduling problems that have delayed grant decisions. The Senate approved the bill 45‑2.

- Lifetime teaching license. Senator Beauchez explained that House Bill 12 38 amends existing lifetime teaching-license rules, changing the eligibility threshold discussed in committee from 30 years to 25 years of licensure and retaining a requirement that teachers submit a report every five years about any post‑license criminal violations or information that could affect licensure. The measure passed 47‑0.

- Nursing‑facility bed‑moratorium review. House Bill 11 54, addressing the periodic review cycle for the long‑standing moratorium on nursing‑home and basic‑care bed capacity, moves the policy review interval from every two years to every four years; the Human Services Committee supported the change and the Senate passed the bill 46‑1.

- Public‑health and body‑art regulation. House Bill 10 71, carried by Senator Larson and introduced by the Department of Health and Human Services’ food and lodging unit, moves several…