Senate panel hears testimony on bill to create elevator inspections, registry and certificates of operation

Senator Greg Kessel, sponsor of Senate Bill 2336, asked the Senate Industry and Business Committee to give the measure a due-pass recommendation, saying the bill would “implement common sense people moving elevator safety legislation.”

The proposal would require registration, annual safety tests and certificates of operation for publicly accessible elevators — for example in hotels, airports, hospitals and office buildings — and would place elevator inspection and certification authority with the North Dakota State Electrical Board, testimony and committee discussion showed. Supporters emphasized the bill would not apply to private residences, industrial or agricultural elevators, or to grain elevators.

Why it matters: Backers said an inspection regime and a registry would reduce the number of entrapments and unexpected hazards first responders face, improve equipment reliability and help prevent injuries and deaths of technicians. “We responded to 13 elevator incidences in 2022, 10 in 2023, and 9 in 2024,” said Darren Schimke, president of…