Legislative Update - Week 9

Click here for the latest tracking grid.

House Bill 1370, also known as the Mammography bill, requires physicians, healthcare providers or any other facilities that use mammography equipment to disclose to patients whether or not they have dense breast tissue. Dense breast tissue is very common and is not abnormal, however having dense breast tissue can make it harder to find cancer on a mammogram. Further, breast density is one of the strongest predictors of the failure of a mammography screening to detect cancer. This bill has no fiscal note (costs the state nothing) and 21 states currently have notification laws in effect.

HB 1370 was first introduced in the House as a bipartisan piece of legislation and has only female sponsors. Initially, the bill received a Do Not Pass in the House Human Services Committee, but following a strong, grassroots push back was reconsidered and given a 12-0 Do Pass recommendation. It then went on to pass the North Dakota House overwhelmingly with an 85-8 vote.

After Crossover, the bill moved to Senate Human Services and was given a 4-2 Do Not Pass recommendation (not yet posted online). Initially the bill was rumored to hit the Senate floor March 5th or 6th, however that same grassroots movement and activists are pushing back hard and are again attempting to get the bill reconsidered. Bill sponsors and women's health advocates Representative Pam Anderson, D-Fargo and Representative Kathy Hawken, R-Fargo are working hard to get this passed and will host a press conference Monday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m. in the Brynhild Haugland Room to bring even more attention to this issue. Watch for this action early next week.

You can hear directly from Representatives Pam Anderson and Kathy Hawken on our Saturday morning, March 7th videoconference at 9am.

Click here to join: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/145996237

​03/09/2015 09:00 AM	​SCR 4015	A concurrent resolution urging Congress to repeal the portions of the federal Affordable Care Act which are overreaching and the portions which are counter to good governance.	House Industry, Business and Labor	​Peace Garden
03/09/2015 09:00 AM	HCR 3052	​A concurrent resolution directing the Legislative Management to study all policies, procedures, supports, and services available at all public institutions of higher education in the state regarding sexual assault and related incidents.	House Judiciary	Prairie
​03/09/2015 09:30 AM	HB 1049	Relating to loans for certain behavioral health professions; to amend and reenact subsection 2 of section 43-45-01 and subsection 2 of section 45-45-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the transfer of the authority of the board of addiction counseling examiners to the department of human services; to repeal sections 43-45-02, 43-45-03, and 43-45-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the board of addiction counseling examiners; to provide an appropriation; to provide a continuing appropriation; and to provide for a transfer.	​Senate Human Services	​Red River
03/09/2015 09:45 AM	SB 2045	A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation to the department of human services for a voucher system for addiction treatment services; and to provide for a report to the legislative management.	House Human Services	Fort Union
​03/09/2015 02:00 PM	SB 2080	Relating to the definition of self-declaration, early childhood services license requirements, prerequisites for issuance of a license or self-declaration, background investigations, penalty for provision of services, and the early childhood services inclusion support services and grant program.	House Human Services	Fort Union
​03/09/2015 02:00 PM	SB 2209	Relating to youth suicide prevention training.	​House Education	​Pioneer
​03/09/2015 02:30 PM	SB 2253	A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation to the department of human services for expanding the healthy families home visitation program.	​House Human Services	Fort Union
03/11/2015 09:30 AM	HB 1029	Relating to neglect of a child; to amend and reenact subdivision a of subsection 1 of section 12.1-32-15, section 14-09-22, paragraph 1 of subdivision d of subsection 3 of section 27-20-02, and subsection 3 of section 50-25.1-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to abuse of a child; and to provide a penalty.	​Senate Judiciary	​Fort Lincoln
​03/11/2015 10:30 AM	HB 1244	Relating to use of state employee sick leave for adoption of a child.	Senate Human Services	​Red River
03/11/2015 11:00 AM	HB 1183	​Relating to middle name options on a marriage license application or marriage license.	Senate Judiciary	Fort Lincoln