Senate finishes floor action on more than two dozen House bills; roll-call summaries

The North Dakota Senate completed final action on more than two dozen House bills and related measures on March 10, 2025, passing the majority and rejecting a smaller number. Several items were carried with emergency clauses; a handful were sent back for reconsideration or failed.

Nut graf: The Senate considered bills on topics ranging from motor vehicle temporary permits and appraisal management regulation to criminal sentencing alternatives, charitable gambling fines, and tax classification of residential property. This "Votes at a glance" compiles each bill that received final action on the floor, the committee recommendation where stated, and the final roll-call tally recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance (bill — short description — committee rec / key points — final tally — outcome):

- House Bill 11-18 — amends section 39 (temporary registration permits): extends 30-day temporary permit to 75 days; clarifies display; transportation committee recommended due pass — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-80 — updates regulation of appraisal management companies (chapter 43-23.5): definitions, exemptions, ownership and record-retention rules; Energy & Natural Resources committee recommended due pass — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 14-40 — clarifies the cigar lounge certificate renewal process by verifying 15% of gross from cigars after a full calendar year (Finance & Tax committee recommended due pass 4-2) — 39 ayes, 6 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-53 — repeals a 1933 section limiting the length of the state highway system; Dept. of Transportation-sponsored bill — 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 15-43 — legislative management study on prescription drug pricing and maximum fair price — 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 11-09 — technical corrections related to residential care and services for individuals with developmental disabilities; includes new host-home level of service and emergency clause; Human Services committee recommended due pass — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED (emergency clause carries).

- House Bill 11-31 — permits sale of dairy products made from raw milk if labeled; AG & Veterans Affairs committee due pass 6-0 — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-59 — would have tied felony sentencing reduction to courts’ probation decisions; Judiciary committee recommended do not pass — 8 ayes, 37 nays, 2 absent — FAILED.

- House Bill 11-37 — allows mobility-impaired parking placards to be displayed on dashboard instead of rearview mirror — Transportation committee due pass 6-0 — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-93 — aligns commercial driver license durations with federal regs for certain agricultural employees (extends eligible period by 30 days); Transportation committee due pass 6-0 — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED (emergency clause carries).

- House Bill 10-92 — designates an overpass on US-52 as the Staff Sergeant Miles Shelley World War II Overpass (continuing appropriation and emergency clause) — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED (emergency clause carries).

- House Bill 10-91 — designates a bridge on US-81 as Specialist David Luttrell Vietnam Bridge (continuing appropriation and emergency clause) — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED (emergency clause carries).

- House Bill 15-63 — legislative study related to tribal land taxation (sponsor floor amendment failed; bill passed as a "shall consider" study) — 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-42 (Senate bill numbering) — extends time for application of water to a beneficial use, authorizes Dept. of Water Resources to grant extensions for good cause — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-41 — clarifies process for removal of noncompliant dikes, dams and water-control devices; Energy & Natural Resources committee due pass 7-0 — 43 ayes, 2 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 11-52 — would have redefined "residential property" for property-tax classification; Finance & Tax committee recommended do not pass — 1 aye, 44 nays, 2 absent — FAILED.

- House Bill 10-96 — reduces assessed communication service fee from 5% to 2.5%; Finance & Tax committee recommended due pass — 43 ayes, 2 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-48 — aligns family mediation statute with mediator practice and confidentiality; Judiciary committee due pass — 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-44 — expands persons authorized to perform DNA sampling (adds correctional staff) at the AG’s request; Judiciary committee due pass — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED (emergency clause carries).

- House Bill 11-23 — insurance commissioner fee schedule update; fiscal note projects increased revenue (~$15,000,000) from fee adjustments; Industry & Business committee recommended due pass — 40 ayes, 5 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 11-88 — allows Career and Technical Education centers to assess remaining costs based on utilization or geography (Education committee due pass 5-0) — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-47 — authorizes up to 10 hours of counseling for jurors who serve on trials with extraordinarily graphic evidence; Judiciary committee due pass (6-1) — 32 ayes, 13 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 10-34 — reestablishment of parental rights and responsibilities; product of juvenile justice interim work; Judiciary committee unanimous due pass — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 12-32 — attempted clarification of "residential property" definition (Finance & Tax committee recommended do not pass) — 0 ayes, 45 nays, 2 absent — FAILED.

- House Bill 11-92 — raises allowable primary prize value for charitable gaming to $15,000 and total prize limits to $50,000; Judiciary committee due pass — 38 ayes, 7 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 12-53 — authorizes Attorney General to fine site owners for charitable gaming violations (site-based sanctions in addition to organization sanctions) — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 14-28 — would exempt sales of used clothing by 501(c)(3) thrift stores from sales tax; Finance & Tax committee recommended do not pass but chamber approved — 31 ayes, 14 nays, 2 absent — PASSED; the bill was deemed reconsidered and re-referred to the Appropriations Committee.

- House Bill 14-41 — would add gold and silver as legal tender and address digital central-bank currency definitions; Finance & Tax committee voted do not pass 4-2 — 18 ayes, 27 nays, 2 absent — FAILED.

- House Bill 14-71 — prohibits insurers from requiring virtual credit-card acceptance as the sole payment method for dental providers and requires disclosure of virtual-card fees — 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 13-11 — legislative study on volunteer emergency responder recruitment and retention — 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent — PASSED.

- House Bill 12-52 — tribal healthcare coordination fund changes to remove earlier timeline limits; passed — 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent — PASSED.

Notes: where the transcript contained unclear or garbled lines (for example one announcement reported committee totals in a compressed or unclear fashion) tallies above are taken from the recorded floor roll-call tallies as spoken into the record. Where no numeric tally was recorded in the transcript the article states that fact.

What to watch next: several passed bills include emergency clauses and will take effect immediately if enrolled; House Bill 14-28 was sent to Appropriations after being deemed reconsidered. The Senate adjourned and scheduled to reconvene at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 03/11/2025.