[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6338938,"mediaKeyId","2266699-9d19890e96874dad7d531d74891f0cbf","parentId",2266699,"title","Committee holds smart‑meter opt‑out bill after split testimony on health and operational concerns","audioSeconds",4750,"startMs",3763090,"endMs",8513796,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2266699-9d19890e96874dad7d531d74891f0cbf&start=3763&end=8513","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2266699-9d19890e96874dad7d531d74891f0cbf/thumbnail_3763090.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6338938/North-Dakota/Committee-holds-smartmeter-optout-bill-after-split-testimony-on-health-and-operational-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338938-ddba6df90ba718a3984acc0487fde1e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775015014&Signature=Tr4hZUNQboevHLZnPU5M6szOVJ2wES6rK0n~-TdUgKl4Hp2ZZwpvQJnB0QuUfhWJ5YqMGRLhlEZZJocsCNa1hOPbg9kUQ~oxboXm9cL-aqRKOSmxJnLey4td5P0jKEpgxxXqITlP0z9QfupiFZV4kQrPV1k23Fhst9-o8M74fHazkFpf7JPL4ChcgnVGcz1Sg6FWYVErUQCW7dBRHmObXjLsDPG1yl2qo3ecwSsfa1ovgYXRLzFXcbvo9hevnKj7CkmQvEmjN7Z89gVF20z4-yu1-5h9lkNhBtybtOi2aNyOJ0ffLG6c4DhCQvEA6XUIdSm2uCCuQto8442UxuiKjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Committee members debated a bill that would require utility services to obtain signed, property‑owner consent before installing a “smart meter gateway device” and to provide an opt‑out form. Supporters cited health and electromagnetic‑exposure concerns; opponents and utilities warned the statutory opt‑out and signature requirement would disrupt meter rollouts and impose operational burdens.

Representative Ruby, the sponsor of the do‑not‑pass motion, told the committee she opposed mandating changes that would force utilities to provide analog meter alternatives and said many objections raised during testimony were speculative and unsupported by definitive medical studies. Representative Jim Casper said his wife had experienced Guillain‑Barré syndrome and expressed concern about electronic impulses affecting people with certain conditions: “electronic impulses can influence that type of disease,” he told the committee.

Utilities said they already provide opt‑out arrangements in many jurisdictions and that technical workarounds (for example, disabling the gateway radio while retaining the meter hardware) can address customer concerns in most cases. Vice Chair Ben Asley and other members pointed to local utilities that reported opt‑out options and minimal uptake.

Action and next steps: Representative Ruby moved a do‑not‑pass recommendation; Representative Greenberg seconded. The committee recorded a roll call with mixed yes and no votes and then directed staff to hold the measure over for further consideration rather than sending a final recommendation to the floor during that meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Industry, Business and Labor Tue, Feb 11, 2025 2:30 PM-5:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","A proposal to require utility providers to obtain signed opt‑out consent before installing smart meter gateway devices drew split testimony on health impacts and operational costs. The committee recorded a do‑not‑pass motion and then held the measure over for further consideration.","taxTitle","Industry, Business and Labor, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28894,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338943,"Committee advances earned-wage access bill as amended, keeps payday database limited to legacy lenders",639,6321710,6961040,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2266699-9d19890e96874dad7d531d74891f0cbf&start=6321&end=6961","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2266699-9d19890e96874dad7d531d74891f0cbf/thumbnail_6321710.jpg","/articles/6338943/North-Dakota/Committee-advances-earned-wage-access-bill-as-amended-keeps-payday-database-limited-to-legacy-lenders","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338943-4a2945b6e05790ae4aa583d8e4a3740b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775015013&Signature=Icra~LXEe-QF9OgKi05Y~qg8tu6goHjLFbAMYftxjG5jSWOBQOEamjpFRS7Ifw~oDUzILRpcmfrAbTMHBbGEzY9dq08GwWiWMCbhkzlJJ2Gpgo8YBs61F4OfAyS2gdfeF8phOSNQokuioE3AL5rdSxF2a35S3LfY7mWyt5dnHP5m0U7rr6YPPSXm-HU~BY6n0CeessebgwlkGod3kgA--g4e0biS2-fqXJ6OtgrT3d5Prff-hHy9uOy8G9bRcvX6cPoCqXHiw5sfHDC1j2Y27kUE~XNqGWFAjB2IOighoBDL4TdnIOSorAKCxVGexieEmqx30G3-i3UC97bSTruZ6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Industry, Business and Labor Committee voted to give a do‑pass recommendation to an amended version of House Bill 1393, a measure that would license and regulate earned‑wage access providers and require periodic reporting to the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).

The amendment, presented by Vice Chair Ben Asley, mirrors elements of a Kansas regulatory model and keeps the existing payday‑loan shared database limited to legacy brick‑and‑mortar payday lenders rather than expanding it to all earned‑wage access products. DFI staff said the amended language creates a licensing class, bond and reporting framework to let regulators monitor volume, costs and profitability and to evolve reporting requirements over time.

Why it matters: earned‑wage access products — apps and services that allow workers to access earned but unpaid wages before payday — have proliferated in different business models. Committee members said licensing and disclosure will give the state data and consumer protections while avoiding immediate expansion of the payday database.

Core elements of the amendment, as DFI described them, include licensing and bonding requirements, mandatory consumer disclosures about cost, a requirement that providers offer a no‑fee option, a prohibition on certain deceptive practices, and a broad reporting authority for the commissioner to request data on volume and pricing. DFI’s Corey Krebs said the amendment is intentionally flexible to let the agency align reporting requirements with approaches other states and to revise them over time.

Action: Vice Chair Asley moved the amendment and later moved do‑pass as amended; Representative Bale seconded the do‑pass motion. The committee recorded a roll‑call vote and approved the bill as amended (majority recorded in roll call). The committee named a carrier to shepherd the bill to the floor.","Lawmakers amended and approved a do-pass on an earned‑wage access bill that sets licensing and reporting requirements for providers while leaving existing payday‑loan database reporting unchanged.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338948,"House committee hears bill to clarify state authority over pharmacy benefit managers amid ERISA debate",6347,53135,6400864,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2266699-9d19890e96874dad7d531d74891f0cbf&start=53&end=6400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2266699-9d19890e96874dad7d531d74891f0cbf/thumbnail_53135.jpg","/articles/6338948/North-Dakota/House-committee-hears-bill-to-clarify-state-authority-over-pharmacy-benefit-managers-amid-ERISA-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338948-860dec61ffc48f9697989068ef99235b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775015013&Signature=d3nFI1BD~fGHdXwFMzWQnnpCAbSgzao~aCM--JNIL5X8JGnItz08IaSYEpeHzTupfRShLMSRmxNWIkVhQAde8Nz9HymC9up02viO~QBh~blITqb2lBWhbPlOBkG~Exr2HMcm2AxH~84NYaMSVMpe8vObaf7FMNJ6fJDnp5Hft-b-pG4~5jw4~zPQ0arRR39xYkiOHOEPQLXawzXN45FTZOoMM0tK-tmq-IujBLno6nXMblaMG~~-DSYQ1LFHH~4GOcXA-Lj1CGxxg7aklzp5DQIW~EjUZJENNA0WdZpF1EowbGFWJjsVxi-AOhn7negCqSrL5dkKgf1KNzUS4qFo5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Industry, Business and Labor Committee in Bismarck held a hearing on House Bill 1584, which would clarify the insurance commissioner’s authority to regulate pharmacy benefit managers and add enforcement penalties.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Jim Casper, R-Fargo, told the committee PBMs “are the middlemen between the drug manufacturers, the pharmacies, the health insurance plans, and the insurance companies,” and said the proposal aims to update 20-year-old state law to match marketplace changes and withstand legal challenges.

Why it matters: PBMs administer pharmacy networks, process claims and negotiate rebates for prescription drugs; proponents say clearer state enforcement is needed to protect pharmacies and health plans, while opponents warn the changes could run into federal preemption under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and affect self‑funded employer plans.

Representative Casper and outside witnesses cited investigations and enforcement actions elsewhere to justify the proposal. Casper pointed to recent national examples, saying states and federal agencies have pursued matters involving PBM pricing and rebate retention. Attorney Robert Smith, testifying remotely, told the committee that recent U.S. Supreme Court and Eighth Circuit decisions have affirmed significant state regulatory authority. “The states possess robust authority to regulate PBMs even when those PBMs are serving plans subject to regulation under ERISA,” Smith said, and recommended technical definition changes that would remove an explicit ERISA exemption from the statute and instead clarify that a PBM is a third party acting under contract with a covered entity.

Supporters from the pharmacy community and allied groups urged the committee to adopt the definition changes and to broaden enforcement authority. Mike Schwab of the North Dakota Pharmacists Association said the market has shifted and that ","A hearing on House Bill 1584 drew testimony from state lawmakers, legal experts and industry representatives about expanding enforcement authority over pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and how ERISA preemption could limit state action. Committee members signaled interest in technical amendments but took no final vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee holds smart‑meter opt‑out bill after split testimony on health and operational concerns

Committee advances earned-wage access bill as amended, keeps payday database limited to legacy lenders

House committee hears bill to clarify state authority over pharmacy benefit managers amid ERISA debate