North Dakota Senate advances dozens of bills including caregiver pilot expansion, juvenile remediation, and insurance updates

The North Dakota Senate on Feb. 19–20, 2025 debated and voted on a wide slate of bills, passing most and rejecting a handful after extended floor discussion.

The session opened with a memorial for Representative Josh Christie and proceeded through amendments and final passage votes on bills ranging from a paid family caregiver pilot expansion to changes in insurance regulation and a one‑time grant for an NDSU research park. Several bills drew extended floor debate before final tallies, and two notable policy proposals—reclamation standards for oil and gas sites and a presumption-of-fitness shared‑parenting bill—failed to pass.

Why it matters: the package includes measures that affect state spending, service delivery and oversight (paid caregiver pilot, adult residential facility reimbursement, a research-park grant and a Department of Commerce performance audit), health‑care access (prior authorization reform and an expansion of Medicaid-covered dental services), and regulatory change for insurers and certain internet age‑verification mandates. Several measures include explicit appropriations or fiscal notes that will affect the state budget and program operations.

Key floor debate highlights

- Paid family caregiving pilot (Senate Bill 2305): Sponsor Senator Hogan said the pilot began in April 2023, received 444 applications but could only serve 50 families because of funding limits. The bill passed on a final tally of 47 ayes, 0 nays. The sponsor told the Senate the pilot will end when a cross‑disability waiver system is implemented (anticipated by 06/30/2027).

- Juvenile fitness and remediation (Senate Bill 2036): Senator Mathern described amendments that reduced certification requirements, narrowed affected populations, and proposed roaming specialists rather than many staff at each human services center. The bill passed, 46 ayes, 1 nay.

- Adult residential facility payment rates (Senate Bill 2271): Senator Cleary explained the bill requires cost reporting by adult residential care facilities to the Department of Health and Human Services, and the amended appropriation is $1,700,000 state funds (with matching federal funds described in committee). The bill passed, 46 ayes, 1 nay.

- School personal electronic device policies (Senate Bill 2354): After the Appropriations Committee removed a $300,000 appropriation for Department of Public Instruction grants for device storage, sponsor Senator Axeman described the bill as a local‑control framework requiring…