North Dakota House passes employee-pay resolution and a package of bills on adoption, courts, victims, licensure and highways

BISMARCK — The North Dakota House of Representatives approved a package of measures on Jan. 20, 2025, including a senate concurrent resolution that designates legislative employee positions and daily pay rates and a series of bills affecting adoption and child-placing agencies, municipal courts, victim notification, speech-language licensure, a memorial highway designation and repeal of an unused multistate transportation statute.

The most immediate action was the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 4005, which lists specific house and senate employee positions and sets daily wages for the 69th legislative assembly. The resolution, recommended by the procedural employment committee, was moved for immediate consideration and passed by voice and final vote (88–0). The resolution specifies daily pay rates such as $239 per day for the chief clerk, $213 for assistant chief clerk and calendar clerk, $228 for the journal reporter, $190 for sergeant at arms and a $1-per-day longevity increment for prior sessions up to $10 per day. The resolution also directs committees to identify each employee and permits conversion of positions to part-time with hourly pay where approved by the employment committee.

Other bills taken up and passed on final consideration included:

- House Bill 1120 (passed 88–0): An agency bill from the Department of Health and Human Services, handled by the Human Services Committee, that updates North Dakota Century Code provisions on the Revised Uniform Adoption Act and child-placing agencies. Committee presenters said the bill clarifies the Department of Health and Human Services’ role in investigating conflicts between child-placing agencies and treatment foster homes or adoption services; defines allowable financial compensation and required itemized receipts for adoptive families and biological parents; allows coverage of birth-parent legal fees and certain medical and living expenses tied to pregnancy and delivery (excluding lost wages, gifts, vacations and education); and gives the department authority to revoke a child-placing agency license for false or misleading reports. The committee reported and the House gave the bill a green vote.

- House Bill 1061 (passed 86–2): Brought to the Judiciary Committee at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s request, the bill revises notification procedures for crime victims (the transcript references the statewide victim information and notification system, commonly called SAVIN). Committee discussion noted the attorney general’s office raised constitutional concerns about mandatory notice, and the bill, as amended, places responsibility on the appropriate custodial authority and retains SAVIN as the automated system for notifications. The House passed the amended bill by recorded vote.

- House Bill 1032 (passed 88–0): A comprehensive rewrite and update of laws governing municipal courts and related procedures. Sponsors and committee presenters described repeal of the existing municipal-courts chapter and enactment of a new chapter (40-18.1) with provisions on establishment of municipal courts, jurisdiction, fitness to proceed, criminal responsibility, judge qualifications and election, clerks and prosecutors, transfers to district court, appeals and rules adopted by the Supreme Court. The bill was reported favorably by the political subdivisions committee and passed on final reading.

- House Bill 1049 (passed 88–0): Handled by the Human Services Committee at the Board of Examiners’ request, the bill amends licensure requirements for speech-language pathologists, assistants and temporary licenses, including a supervised clinical-experience standard described in committee as 100 hours for certain pathways; the committee removed a proposed subpoena power for the licensing board. Committee members noted existing degree programs already include clinical hours; the change was intended to broaden licensure pathways.

- House Bill 1212 (passed 88–0): The Transportation Committee recommended naming a portion of State Highway 18 the “Private First Class Henry Gorka Memorial Highway.” Sponsors presented a historical citation describing Gorka’s World War II service and sacrifice; the House approved the designation.

- House Bill 1215 (passed 88–0): The Transportation Committee recommended repeal of a statutory section (24-02-46) that authorized participation in a multistate highway transportation agreement (Western States Transportation Alliance). Committee testimony indicated the alliance has not met since 2020 and repealing the statute clarifies the Department of Transportation is not required to participate or pay associated fees.

Why it matters: The measures change state administrative practice (employee pay rules and committee reporting), update statutory rules that affect families (adoption and child-placing agencies), alter court structure and procedures for hundreds of municipalities, modify how victims may receive notifications, adjust professional licensure pathways and add a memorial highway designation. Several of the bills are technical or cleanup in nature but have direct operational impacts for state agencies, local governments and regulated professionals.

Votes at a glance (final recorded tallies reported in the House): - SCR 4005 (employee positions/pay): 88 yays, 0 nays — passed - HB 1120 (adoption/child-placing agencies): 88 yays, 0 nays — passed - HB 1061 (victim-notification amendments): 86 yays, 2 nays — passed - HB 1032 (municipal courts rewrite): 88 yays, 0 nays — passed - HB 1049 (speech-language licensure): 88 yays, 0 nays — passed - HB 1212 (Henry Gorka memorial highway): 88 yays, 0 nays — passed - HB 1215 (repeal multistate transportation statute): 88 yays, 0 nays — passed

Meeting context and next steps: Committee reports, oaths for legislative employees and procedural motions preceded final readings. Several bills were described as agency or committee bills and will move to enrollment, transmittal to the Senate (or to codification actions) as required by legislative process. The House adjourned to reconvene at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.

Sources: Proceedings and roll-call totals recorded on the House floor (transcript excerpts).