North Dakota House passes business, public-safety and hunting bills; several health and social-policy measures fail or are sent back to committee

BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota House of Representatives on Tuesday considered two dozen bills and resolutions, approving measures ranging from pet‑food registration reforms to changes in how counties are reimbursed when state correctional facilities cannot immediately accept inmates. Major health‑policy proposals — including a bill to create a dementia response coordinator and several changes to the state medical‑cannabis program — failed to advance.

The session mixed brief committee reports with longer policy debate. Lawmakers spent substantial time on a proposed dementia response program, changes to Workforce Safety and Insurance lifetime benefit caps, and adjustments to medical‑marijuana possession and fee rules. Other bills received limited floor debate and cleared the House on near‑party line or unanimous votes.

Why it matters: Several failed or revisited measures affect services for older North Dakotans, Medicaid and workforce‑injury benefit levels; other successful bills alter regulatory or tax treatment for small businesses, towing companies and hunters. The outcomes set the House position for later Senate consideration and for committee work before the next legislative deadlines.

Votes at a glance (selected bills)

- HCR 30‑27 (Giving Hearts Day): Adopted. The concurrent resolution declares Feb. 13, 2025, as Giving Hearts Day and commends the Dakota Medical Foundation, the Impact Foundation and the Alex Stern Family Foundation for their roles in the regional fundraising event. The House declared the resolution passed and ordered it messaged to the Senate.

- HB 14‑33 (dementia response program): Failed. The Human Services Committee recommended “do not pass” (committee vote reported as 7 ayes, 5 nays, 1 absent). The bill would have created a dementia response coordinator position and appropriated $250,000 for an FTE to implement and update the statewide dementia/Alzheimer’s plan. Final floor vote: 26 yes, 64 no; bill declared failed. Representative Dobrevitch, the bill carrier, said the coordinator would “create coordination in getting services to the people that need them where they need them and assure that our state plan is being worked through.” Committee members said they…