House Judiciary Committee advances a package of justice bills, including crime-lab reclassification and expanded jury list

The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday advanced multiple measures affecting criminal justice and court administration, voting to reclassify the State Crime Laboratory director, increase the bar exam application fee, expand the master jury list, permit a streamlined waiver process for tribal arrest warrants, correct a statutory citation on juvenile records and clarify when supervised probation begins. Lawmakers also approved a reworked temporary domestic violence protection order package after a series of amendment votes.

The package matters because it changes personnel status in the Attorney General’s Office, alters how jurors are drawn, updates administrative fees for bar applicants, and adjusts court procedures that affect arrests and sentences. Committee action sends the bills to the next step in the Legislature.

State Crime Laboratory director: reclassification

The committee voted to give the State Crime Laboratory director a classified, nonappointed status, aligning the job with other nonattorney division directors in the Office of the Attorney General. Jennifer Penner, identified in committee testimony as the crime lab director for the Office of Attorney General, told the committee the change would remove the position’s appointed status and make it a classified position subject to the same protections under the state human resources system (HRMS) as other classified state employees. Penner said the move was requested by the Attorney General and would provide the director “the same protections that are granted to all state employees, through the human resources.” She also said the salary would not change and that she has served as official director for about a year and a half following a nine-month interim period.

Representative Twight moved a do-pass recommendation; the committee voted 10–3 (one absent) to advance the bill. The roll call recorded yes votes from Chairman Clamine, Vice Chair Carls, Vice Chair Vetter, Representatives Christensen, Henderson, Johnston, Satrim, Schneider, White and Wolf; no votes from Representatives Hoverson, Olson and Van Winkle. The bill carrier listed by committee staff was Representative Schneider.

Domestic violence protection-order bill: amended package

Committee members and outside experts spent an extended period amending a proposed consolidated civil protection order chapter (references in the draft use chapter 14.07.7). Subcommittee members proposed multiple technical and substantive edits: inserting the phrase “attorney guardian ad litem” where the text refers to guardian ad litem for minors; leaving the petition standard for a minor of “sufficient and competent age” rather than fixing a numeric age; clarifying that a victim-witness coordinator or a state’s attorney staff member may assist with preparation of documents (rather than a state’s attorney giving legal advice); and inserting language specifying that a conviction is required before escalating a first violation to a felony classification.

One of the most contested items was a provision allowing a temporary domestic violence protection order to include a requirement that a respondent surrender firearms for safekeeping “within 24 hours of being served or upon the request of a law enforcement officer, whichever is sooner.” Supporters, including witnesses with law enforcement experience, said the language is intended to allow officers to immediately secure weapons when the circumstances indicate an imminent danger. Opponents argued it could deprive respondents of due process in emergency or ambiguous situations.

After debate the committee first approved a motion to adopt a package of amendments except for the firearm-take language and related lines by voice and roll call (13–0). The committee later voted to reinsert the firearm surrender language (amendment number 2) and then voted to give the bill a do-pass recommendation as amended. The final do-pass as amended motion passed 8–5, with one member absent. Representative Satrim was listed as the committee carrier for the amended bill.

Bar exam fee increase (Senate Bill 2,053)

Petra Mandegolholme, clerk of the Supreme Court and secretary-treasurer of the State Board of Law Examiners, told the committee the board seeks to raise the bar exam application fee from $150 to $200. She said the fee has not been increased since 1997 and does not cover administration costs. Mandegolholme provided cost details: the jurisdiction pays $132 per nonaccommodated exam to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, venue costs run approximately $4,000 in nonlegislative years and about $8,000 in legislative years, and staff time and proctor/grader payments are additional expenses. She said the new national “Next Gen” electronic exam will increase costs by at least $50 per examinee starting in 2027.

Representative Olson moved a do-pass recommendation; the motion carried 10–2 with two absent. Representative Schneider was listed as the bill carrier. The committee fiscal note noted an estimated fiscal effect of about $12,000.

Master jury list expansion (Senate Bill 2,054)

Sarah Behrens of the State Court Administrator’s Office testified for the bill, which restructures the statute that governs the master jury list and adds to the types of lists that may be used to form that master list. The bill would add lists of persons receiving unemployment compensation, public assistance and child care assistance to the current sources (voter registration, utility customers, property taxpayers, motor vehicle registrations, tribal registries where available and driver’s licenses). Behrens said the change is intended to include people who may not otherwise appear on typical lists—people without property, without utility accounts in their name, or without driver’s licenses.

Behrens said the Department of Health and Human Services worked on the draft and that because some assistance lists are confidential, the bill contains a contingent effective date provision tied to an amendment of the DHHS state plan to permit disclosure. She also said the master jury list itself would be designated confidential to protect information derived from those assistance rolls.

The North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents (public defenders) testified in support, saying broader and more representative jury pools promote fair trials and community confidence in the courts. Committee debate focused on confidentiality and whether adding assistance rolls could inadvertently include noncitizens; DHHS staff (Dr. Rachel Schaffer, director of program administration, Economic Assistance) testified that program eligibility rules and federal interfaces mean the assistance rolls are restricted to qualified recipients and that individuals who are ineligible (for example, persons without appropriate documentation) are excluded.

After discussion the committee adopted the measure on a 8–5 vote with one absent; a bill carrier was identified.

Juvenile-records citation correction (Senate Bill 2,055)

Sarah Behrens briefly explained that Senate Bill 2,055 corrects an incorrect citation in subsection 1 of section 27-20.2-23. The statute referenced the wrong provision number; the bill changes the cited cross-reference from the restitution provision to the correct statute concerning transfer to other courts. The committee voted 11–0 with three absent to give the bill a due-pass recommendation; the item was placed on the consent calendar.

Tribal arrest warrants and extradition waivers (Senate Bill 2,056)

Behrens and Joseph (Joe) Vetch, chief judge of the Spirit Lake Tribal Court, testified in favor of a bill that creates a procedure allowing arrestees held on tribal warrants to waive a formal extradition hearing without a judge appearance in certain circumstances. Vetch said the Spirit Lake practice has worked well: in 2023 the tribe recorded 67 extraditions, 56 of which involved Spirit Lake. He said the current statute requires an appearance before a judge before extradition can proceed; the bill would allow a waiver to be executed and handled administratively when appropriate, saving county jail time and expense when defendants do not contest extradition.

Representative Tweed moved a due-pass recommendation; the committee approved the measure 13–0. The committee did not place the bill on the consent calendar so sponsors could explain the measure on the floor.

Probation commencement date clarification (Senate Bill 2,067)

Tom Earhart, chief parole and probation officer for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, testified the bill clarifies when supervised probation begins if a court orders an alternative to incarceration such as house arrest, electronic monitoring or inpatient treatment. Under the amendment, probation would commence after the defendant’s release from the period of incarceration or completion of an ordered alternative, unless the court explicitly orders otherwise. Earhart said the amendment resolves inconsistent business practice about whether probation should run concurrently with an alternative and reduces confusion about the department’s authority to file revocation petitions.

Representative Vetter moved a due-pass recommendation; the committee approved the bill 13–0 (one absent noted earlier in the session). Committee staff identified a bill carrier.

What’s next

Each advanced bill will proceed to the next floor or committee step listed on the Legislature’s calendar. Committee minutes and the official bill drafts should be consulted for final statutory text, effective dates and any floor amendments. The committee’s roll-call votes and recorded amendments will be available in the official minutes and bill files.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 2,050 (reclassify State Crime Laboratory director): do pass recommendation, committee vote 10–3, 1 absent; bill carrier: Representative Schneider. - Temporary domestic violence protection order (chapter 14.07.7, bill number not specified in transcript): committee approved a package of amendments and then voted a do-pass as amended, final vote 8–5, 1 absent; bill carrier: Representative Satrim. - Senate Bill 2,053 (increase bar exam application fee to $200): do pass recommendation, committee vote 10–2, 2 absent; bill carrier: Representative Schneider; estimated fiscal effect ~$12,000. - Senate Bill 2,054 (expand master jury list; add unemployment/public-assistance/child-care lists; contingent effective date for confidential lists): do pass recommendation, committee vote 8–5, 1 absent; bill carrier: Representative Johnson (per clerk note). - Senate Bill 2,055 (correct juvenile-records citation): due pass, committee vote 11–0, 3 absent; placed on consent calendar. - Senate Bill 2,056 (tribal arrest-warrant waiver procedure): due pass, committee vote 13–0; not placed on consent calendar; bill carrier: Representative Hoberson. - Senate Bill 2,067 (clarify start date for supervised probation after alternatives to incarceration): due pass, committee vote 13–0; bill carrier: Representative Vetter.

Sources and scope

This article is based on in-committee testimony, roll-call votes and amendment debate recorded in the House Judiciary Committee hearing transcript provided to the committee. It summarizes motions, votes and the substance of testimony. It does not add or infer facts beyond what was recorded in the transcript.