Legislative Update - Week 8

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NDWN will focus on a few specific pieces of legislation as the bills move from one chamber to the other. Some of these bills are up for a hearing next week. We would love to see high attendance to the hearing on equal pay bill 1257 on Wednesday, March 4 at 10:15 in Senate Industry, Business, and Labor committee.
Reproductive Rights:

• We will work diligently to get a gag amendment removed from a human trafficking bill. The Catholic Conference added an amendment to the prime anti-human trafficking bill (2107) that restricts victim services providers from referring victims to abortion care providers.
  

Women’s Health:

• HB 1370 requires health care providers to inform women with dense breasts of additional breast cancer screening options.
  

​03/04/2015 10:00 AM

HB 1370

Relating to mammogram result notices and the notification of registered owners of mammography equipment; to provide an expiration date; and to declare an emergency.

Senate Human Services

​Red River

Non-discrimination:

• NDWN will put significant effort to pass the remaining pay equity legislation HB 1257 and HB 1294.
  

​03/04/2015 10:15 AM

HB 1257

​Relating to unequal pay for men and women; and to provide a penalty.

​Senate Industry, Business and Labor

​Roosevelt Park

• Additionally, we will push hard to get SB 2279 passed through the House to be sure sexual orientation and gender identity are added to North Dakota’s human rights laws.
  

Family Leave:

• NDWN will assist in pushing for better family leave policies for state employees through both 2258 and 1244.
  

​03/05/2015 09:00 AM

SB 2258

​Relating to state employee leave.

​House Government and Veterans Affairs

​Fort Union

• Also, 1403 allows state employees to use sick time for consequences of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
  
  

Freedom from violence:

• NDWN will support Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) with SB 2284 to provide state funding for SANE programs.
  
  
• NDWN is a founder of the state human trafficking coalition, FUSE, and will work collaboratively to pass the package of human trafficking, especially 2107 (while trying to remove the gag amendment) and 2199 which funds victim service providers.
  
  

Other hearings of interest:

​Date and Time	Bill Number		​Short Title	Room
​03/04/2015 10:30 AM	HB 1314	​Relating to consent for emergency medical care for a minor who has been sexually assaulted.	​Senate Human Services	Red River
​03/04/2015 10:45 AM	HB 1212	Relating to eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits for victims of stalking.	Senate Industry, Business and Labor	Roosevelt Park
03/04/2015 02:00 PM	HCR 3049	A concurrent resolution directing the Legislative Management to study issues related to employment restrictions in public assistance programs.	​House Industry, Business and Labor	​Peace Garden
​03/06/2015 11:00 AM	HCR 3056	A concurrent resolution directing the Legislative Management to study projections on the number of low-income individuals in the state over the next 10 years and the desirability and feasibility of developing and expanding asset-building programs for those individuals.	​House Political Subdivisions	​Prairie

The 2015 legislative session was our opportunity to change the conversation in the state. We were able to look at a full spectrum of policies to improve women’s lives. We’re pleased to provide the list of what all moved through the legislative body for the first half of the session.

Wage increases and Income supports - A number of bills were introduced, but none were successful.

• HB 1227 – legislation to provide a child care income tax credit for families participating in a quality child care program. The bill failed on January 28th by a vote of 36-57.
  
  
• HB 1405 – A bill to provide a refundable state earned income tax credit of 10%. This bill failed in the House by a vote of 18-74 on February 18th.
  
  
• HB 1438 – a bill to raise the tipped minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.25 and increasing annually until it matches the standard minimum wage. This bill failed by a vote of 27-63 on February 2.
  
  
• HB 3027 – a resolution to call on the US Congress to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. This resolution failed by a vote of 24-66 on February 2.
  
  

Expand coverage to comprehensive health insurance. ND passed Medicaid expansion in 2013, but this session some effort was put in place to cover some fixes.

• Most notably, HB 1041 which ensures that the Medicaid insurance provider provided coverage at all pharmacies. This bill passed unanimously on February 25.
  
  
• HB 1037 calls for a report to legislative management on the benefits and downfalls of adding cost-sharing to Medicaid and Medicare. We find the prospects of cost-sharing problematic as it will create additional burdens for low income people seeking health care. This did pass the house on January 15 by a vote of 79 to 7.
  
  
• Two bills to increase Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women (HB 1291) and family planning (1295) both failed in the house by wide margins. HB 1291 failed on February 10th by a vote of 25-65 and HB 1295 failed on February 13 by a vote of 22-66.
  

Support workers with family responsibilities.

• Two bills providing state investment in pre-k started in the Senate. SB 2254, a comprehensive universal pre-k bill, failed in the Senate by a vote of 31-16 on February 25. The other, SB 2151, providing grants to school districts passed the same day by a vote of 31-16.
  
  
• There are two bills still alive providing more paid family leave for state employees. SB 2258 allows state employees to use up to 12 weeks of earned time for family leave and HB 1244 allows up to six weeks. As these bills cross over to the other chamber, the effort will be strong to get 1244 to mirror 2258 and passed into law. Additionally, HB 1403 allows state employees to use sick time to address issues of personal violence experiences.
  
  

Combat discrimination in the workplace

• Three bills were introduced to address pay equity. Two remain. HB 1257 provides for an update of the 50 year old state pay equity laws and passed on February 6 unanimously. HB 1294 passed on January 29 by a vote of 65-25. It will prohibit employer retaliation against employees who discuss their wages with others. The transparency is key to flushing out discrimination.
  
  
• HB 1463 requires reasonable accommodation for pregnant women at work. This bill passed unanimously on February 19th.
  
  
• SB 2279 adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s human rights laws in the areas of credit, housing, and employment. This bill passed the Senate on February 17th by a vote of 25-22.
  

Create pathways to opportunity

• ND has a very generous children’s savings account through the Bank of North Dakota. Each child born in ND is eligible for a $100 savings account match. This year NDWN has been working with the Department of Human Services to exempt these accounts from assets tests in safety net programs. Additionally, Representative Joshua Boschee has introduced a study resolution, HCR 3056, for the state to examine ways they can help low and moderate income individuals increase their assets.
  
  
• A few bills relating to tuition freezes were presented in the legislature, but both died in the house. HB 1043 froze tuition at two-year institutions and failed on February 25 by a vote of 15-77 and HB 1233, freezing tuition at all state schools of higher education, failed on February 25 by a vote of 30-62.
  
  

There are always ups and downs every session, and this one is no different. Keep following and reaching out to your legislators to let them know your perspective.