Votes at a glance: contractor reporting, volatile-chemical sales, raffles, block-grant hearings and other floor actions

The North Dakota Senate took final action on several bills and a concurrent resolution on Jan. 23, 2025. Below are brief descriptions, vote tallies, and the sponsors who carried each item on the floor.

Senate Bill 21-63 — Contractor reporting threshold (Kessel): Amends subsection 1 of section 43-7-10, North Dakota Century Code, to raise the annual reporting threshold for contractors from $25,000 to $50,000. Sponsor Senator Kessel said the change "reflects the current economic realities of construction cost, and will reduce unnecessary paperwork for both contractors and the registrar's office." Final tally: 47 ayes, 0 nays. The bill passed.

Senate Bill 21-95 — Regulation of aerosol dusters containing difluoroethane (Lee): Creates a new statutory provision and amends existing code to classify difluoroethane as a volatile chemical and restrict retail sale (age limit and behind-the-counter requirements). Senator Lee described the bill as adding a product to the list of volatile chemicals after reports of misuse: "We heard about individuals, really being damaged by huffing a variety of aerosol products," Lee said. Final tally: 46 ayes, 1 nay. The bill passed.

Senate Bill 21-89 — Reporting value of raffle prizes (Lewick): Proposed changes to permitting and reporting for organizations conducting raffles and similar events. Sponsor Senator Lewick told the Senate that the Attorney General’s Office planned administrative guidance and that the committee recommended not passing the bill. Final tally: 2 ayes, 45 nays. The bill failed.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 4001 — Authorization for budget section hearings on block grants (Wanzik): Authorizes the budget section of legislative management to hold required public hearings on newly passed or revised block grants (e.g., community services block grant) from adjournment through Sept. 30, 2027. The appropriations committee gave unanimous support. Voice vote/indication: motion prevailed.

Other procedural actions: The Senate adopted multiple committee reports recommending approval of nominees to state boards and commissions (committee votes recorded on the floor; reports adopted by voice vote). Several committee meetings and scheduling announcements were also made before adjournment.

These items reflect final-floor action on bills with recorded tallies and outcomes noted in the secretary’s roll-call and recorded announcements on Jan. 23, 2025.