Legislative Update Week 11

​The week of WE Rise and our attendees helped defeat a bill. Check it out here.

Thanks to all who were part of WE Rise this past week. It was an amazing event; largely because such powerful people attended and engaged on the issues.


Click here for the updated tracking grid.


House Bill 1308, a bill to require addiction screening of TANF recipients, was heard in committee on Monday – during WE Rise. The recommendation from the committee came out Do Pass by a vote of 4-3 – the same vote as the one the Senate previous defeated (SB 2279). The Senate held their final vote on the bill Thursday. After a lengthy and complex debate, the Senate defeated the bill by a close vote of 25-21. You can watch the debate here. Thanks to the participants of WE Rise who stood up in opposition to the bill and helped lead to the defeat of this bill. Senator Judy Lee provided great leadership in speaking intelligently on the bill in opposition to it.
Here is the voting record

The funding bills for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and Human Trafficking victim services had hearings this week, but a decision on these bills may take some time. The services bill still needs to be heard in Appropriations as well.


We just came from hearings on Voter ID. The support for many of the changes to allowable ID indicates a move in the positive direction. The concerns about set aside ballots were noted by many (don’t call them provisional, that REALLY upset Secretary of State Jaeger). The committee will need to work on the bill at a later date to consider amendments and suggested changes.


The Refugee Resettlement study bill was still in hearing as of the writing of this update.  

Hearings Scheduled for Next Week:

• 03/20/2017 09:00 AM; SB 2163; Relating to the financial exploitation of vulnerable adults; to amend and reenact subsection 7 of section 50-25.2-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the definition of financial exploitation; and to provide a penalty. House Judiciary; Prairie Room

• 03/20/2017 09:30 AM; HB 1183; Relating to indecent exposure toward minors; and to provide a penalty. Senate Judiciary; Fort Lincoln Room

• 03/21/2017 08:30 AM; SB 2195; Relating to exempting donor records from public disclosure under open records laws. House Judiciary; Prairie Room

• 03/21/2017 10:00 AM; HB 1221; Relating to the use of confidential informants by law enforcement. Senate Judiciary; Fort Lincoln Room

• 03/22/2017 10:00 AM; HB 1329; Relating to freedom of speech at state institutions of higher education. Senate Education; Sheyenne River Room

• 03/22/2017 10:00 AM; HB 1425; A BILL for an Act to protect the rights and privileges granted under the United States Constitution. Senate Judiciary; Fort Lincoln Room

03/23/2017 10:00 AM; HCR 3016; A concurrent resolution requesting the Legislative Management to consider studying the desirability of moving city and other local elections from the primary election in June in even-numbered years to the general election in November in even-numbered years. Senate Political S