Universities and law enforcement urge carve‑out as bill would allow firearms in many publicly owned buildings

Representative Pat Einert, sponsor of House Bill 15‑88, told the committee the bill consolidates multiple gun provisions from prior sessions, updates definitions and makes several substantive changes — including raising the knife length that qualifies as a dangerous weapon, clarifying when a concealed‑weapons license must be produced and allowing a digital license — and would remove "publicly owned or operated building" from the list of places automatically treated as prohibited for firearms. "We're going to talk about some gun bills...we felt this year that we would bring back a bill that kind of addressed everything," the sponsor said.

The hearing drew extensive testimony in opposition from higher education leaders, campus police and student organizations who said the bill as drafted would remove the authority of the State Board of Higher Education and individual campuses to keep firearms out of campus buildings. Lloyd Halverson, vice president for academic and student affairs and chief of police at Lake Region State College, said removing publicly owned or operated buildings from the statute "would create an environment where it would be perfectly legal for almost anyone to possess a rifle...in all of our campus buildings, meeting rooms, classrooms, auditoriums, sports arenas, and in all circumstances on campus." He said law enforcement would lack a legal basis to act proactively when a visibly armed person appeared at a campus event.

Katie Fitzsimmons, director of student affairs for the North Dakota University System, said the system relies on state law and State Board policy to maintain firearm prohibitions specific to campus buildings and that the bill would prevent institutions from implementing policies that reflect campus realities. "Our campuses are places where students of all ages go to learn, live, eat, workout, perform, practice, research, connect, and compete...this bill does not allow campuses to adjust firearm policies to their unique spaces and events and...would place our campus communities in precarious and dangerous positions," she said.

Student leaders and the North Dakota Student Association urged a do‑not‑pass recommendation, citing suicide risk and campus safety. Christopher Scott, policy advocacy director for the North Dakota Student Association, highlighted mental‑health and suicide statistics and argued the bill would "jeopardize the safety of thousands of students, staff, and faculty across the state."

Some municipal and park officials also opposed the removal of "publicly owned or operated buildings," saying the change would create enforcement confusion where park districts share corridors, concessions and locker rooms with school facilities. Cole Higland, public policy chair for the North Dakota Recreation and Park Association, said shared facilities can be difficult to police and asked that park districts be explicitly included if the language is changed.

The Department of Health and Human Services submitted a requested amendment to add behavioral‑health facilities to the bill’s prohibited places. Jonathan Alm, an attorney for the Department, said House Bill 15‑88 in its draft form "would allow firearms or dangerous weapons at the North Dakota State Hospital, Life Skills and Transition Center, and the state's human service centers," locations that lack metal detectors or armed security; the department asked the committee to adopt an amendment to prohibit firearms in portions of those facilities.

Chief Scott Winkelman of Game and Fish testified he is neutral on the bill as drafted and clarified how written landowner permission functions for hunting, while other witnesses pressed for a mix of carve‑outs and clearer list language for political subdivisions, park districts and school events. Several witnesses urged the committee to preserve current exceptions that allow campuses to provide secure weapon storage and to keep the 2017 statutory carve‑outs that permit limited on‑campus firearm storage under defined conditions.

The committee closed the hearing without a committee vote on the bill that day. Several witnesses asked the committee to add a specific exemption for institutions of higher education and to retain existing storage exceptions enacted in 2017.