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Votes at a glance: Senate advances a package of bills including language clarifications, grants and program changes
Summary
The Senate adopted multiple committee-recommended amendments and recorded final passage on a series of bills covering grants, technical code changes, program wind-downs and data-security rules.
The Senate considered multiple bills and amendments across committees and on the floor. Several proposed amendments were adopted by voice vote during the session, and the Senate recorded final passage on a number of bills. Highlights and official tallies from the transcript follow.
Key final passage results recorded on the floor:
- Senate Bill 22-75 (pilot grants for K–3 foreign-language instruction): final tally 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed. The bill creates a pilot grant program administered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction with grants up to $2,500 per school and an appropriation of $49,500.
- Senate Bill 21-64 (clarifying confidentiality/disclosure for the North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project): final tally 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed.
- Senate Bill 20-88 (insurance data security amendments): final tally 43 ayes, 1 nay, 3 absent — passed; the bill refines the definition of a cybersecurity event, adjusts reporting timelines (to 3 business days), clarifies the insurance commissioner's authority, and removes certain exemptions.
- Senate Bill 20-32 (dissolution of the Comprehensive Health Association of North Dakota, CHAND): final tally 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed; emergency clause carried. The bill sets timelines for winding down enrollment and provides guarantee-issue protections for affected Medicare supplement consumers.
- Senate Bill 22-93 (medical marijuana packaging, caregiver age and alternate ID process): final tally 41 ayes, 3 nays, 3 absent — passed; committee described the bill as technical updates recommended by the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board.
- Senate Bill 23-29 (maintenance and vacating of streets/alleys in dissolved cities): final tally 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed; bill allows counties or organized townships to decide whether to vacate or maintain streets/alleys in a dissolved city.
- Senate Bill 21-20 (transfer to Highway Patrol troopers retirement system fund): final tally 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed; sponsors said the transfer would help stabilize the fund and move the plan toward an actuarially defined employer contribution in the future.
- Senate Bill 22-77 (designating State Highway 200 as the North Dakota Fallen Peace Officers Memorial Highway): final tally 44 ayes, 0 nays, 3 absent — passed; the bill authorizes signage and accepts donated signs or funds on a continuing appropriation.
Earlier in the day the chamber adopted a series of proposed amendments (voice votes) to a range of bills, including but not limited to: SB 2255 (State Health Officer qualifications and advisory board exemption), SB 2149 (school construction assistance fund timing for schools on Air Force bases), SB 2294 (medical marijuana telehealth and safety language), SB 2112 (life-skills/transition center with expiration and report), SB 2192 (funding for accreditation/certification for providers serving individuals with developmental disabilities), SB 2017 (Office of Administrative Hearings budget footnotes and FTE adjustments), SB 2022 (indigent defense commission amendments including reclassification of attorneys), SB 2005 (salary and IT updates for an agency), SB 2011 (highway patrol appropriations adjustment), SB 2113 (technical corrections for Department of Health and Human Services), and SB 2225 (affordable housing infrastructure grants program amendments). In each case the chairing committee asked the Senate to concur and the proposed amendments were adopted by voice vote.
Nut graf: The day's work combined routine budget and technical adjustments, bipartisan infrastructure and program bills, and a set of committee-recommended amendments the Senate adopted largely by voice vote. Several measures with policy implications (family law, marriage-definition, beef commission governance) were debated separately and in some cases failed on final passage.
What to watch next: Many of the amendment-carried bills were referred to appropriations or will be considered on subsequent orders (as announced in committee reports). The Senate also scheduled committee meetings and agreed to adjourn until 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.
Ending: The session concluded with standing committee meeting announcements and an adjournment motion.
