[{"_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",6326963,"mediaKeyId","2323571-acd5ad9bae6c79297d8f843c7811d16e","parentId",2323571,"title","Senate committee approves amendment, then passes Senate Bill 2297 on informed consent for incapacitated individuals","audioSeconds",275,"startMs",2312450,"endMs",2588390,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323571-acd5ad9bae6c79297d8f843c7811d16e&start=2312&end=2588","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323571-acd5ad9bae6c79297d8f843c7811d16e/thumbnail_2312450.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6326963/North-Dakota/Senate-committee-approves-amendment-then-passes-Senate-Bill-2297-on-informed-consent-for-incapacitated-individuals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326963-cb3cb6c0c473b80725da7c2484e19883/orig.mp4?Expires=1770939681&Signature=jzfO2R0rSUL0y6XxFfEIyJZA3l96xUh7pa7t-BVC4sjIzQk2VxP3vGBscVsD1l9FcAAvhsNC7~hiMVBDkEp6eDk4p1vHL-5NoNChF5CavDzlUP1mlQLeZ4N5ixBFwPQFcwkRajB-yvU2f2XWiC~aeONcmOcU7A0MVTKbLPnCeLBPwSU34CbYvfofOS0sHSoDY62i9yjZogg4qZiZG4JIA5-GrqC-b1G2B7YGHhlN2KuJOnyS0PJ461pIs4n5ZtI0nLKWvayW-CZARUasRC5vcQ9kV6trCcqtgHqeLB37A3AKbGBLtPE9~pM20EtF~bSs1jpckElUyNqfXmcTmsoCEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Human Services Committee approved an amendment to Senate Bill 2297 and then voted 6-0 to advance the bill as amended.

Committee members said the revised language clarifies the order of decision-makers for informed consent involving incapacitated individuals and makes the statute clearer than the prior version. A senator noted that the amended language begins the minor section with \"unless otherwise determined by a court order, a parent may make\" the decision, which committee members said improves clarity about parental authority and medical decisions.

Senator Rohrer moved the amendment and the committee approved it by voice vote and then on the roll call (6-0). The committee then voted to pass the bill as amended by the same margin. Committee discussion included senators with experience in child custody and health decision-making who said the amended language would allow for linkage and joint decision-making where appropriate.

Votes at a glance

Senate Bill 2297 (amendment) — Amendment approved, 6-0.
Senate Bill 2297 (as amended) — Do pass recommendation, 6-0.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Human Services Mon, Feb 17, 2025 2:30 PM-3:30 PM ","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Human Services Committee approved an amendment and then voted 6-0 to pass Senate Bill 2297 as amended, a measure clarifying who may provide informed consent for incapacitated adults and specifying an ordered list for decision-making authority.","taxTitle","Human Services, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28905,"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},6326966,"Committee consolidates autopsy-record rules and amends funeral-practice language in House Bill 1068",791,1417510,2208680,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323571-acd5ad9bae6c79297d8f843c7811d16e&start=1417&end=2208","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323571-acd5ad9bae6c79297d8f843c7811d16e/thumbnail_1417510.jpg","/articles/6326966/North-Dakota/Committee-consolidates-autopsy-record-rules-and-amends-funeral-practice-language-in-House-Bill-1068","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326966-e4c2a70909d12c924ceaabd3510960f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770939681&Signature=CypyxNFnRKnGMxi-Oyobg9VOYouq35myR~ltwh7MRkD~PkMDX2oNJuwPEVFtzcRaUC3dcwWLTkKS24cu~VwaxXqgpTsd5bM4Z0qJxNzTJ1omZITr~lYNvXjGLbu3srHrviHKBV22W8it8PETV55pAdC8MUPCxkrbCU6XWCbSDUA34F5tkV97ynG12HKGVulQCIH6LTrm0KHHCZNeQEEgAJpdj64b3GkugqUO17rWO4JVKcfK18QLDCD7nBq-5X3QeE2tR6q7uaBe~COShnW8GDmERKqfkLgIxcgH-ZRr18oURMWvSrK24VvAbCUP1UFE1PpgwrARcoMtV5gbritohQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Human Services Committee voted 6-0 to advance House Bill 1068 after hearing from Kirby Krueger, director of Disease Control and Forensic Pathology at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Krueger said the bill consolidates and clarifies statutes governing release of autopsy records, working papers, photographs and other visual or audio recordings into Title 23 of the North Dakota Century Code, and carries existing authorized releases into the single statute. \"What basically what we're doing is we're taking parts of 44-04-18.18 and moving it all over 23,\" Krueger told the committee.

The bill separates definitions for \"notes\" and \"working papers\" and excludes autopsy photographs, video, and audio recordings from the definition of working papers. It clarifies that the report of death — the portion of records that identifies the decedent and the cause and manner of death — becomes public eight days after completion; other autopsy materials remain confidential except under specified conditions.

Amendments adopted in the House clarified additional release conditions, including allowing autopsy reports and working papers to be shared with the Suicide Fatality Review Commission when there is no active criminal investigation and authorizing the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to receive autopsy reports. The bill also carries forward existing confidentiality rules for photographs and visual images, and explicitly states that photographs of a decedent taken by private individuals are confidential when in the possession of the state forensic examiner.

Committee members asked about the role of county coroners and access to records. Krueger explained that North Dakota uses a county coroner system; coroners initiate death investigations and consult with contract forensic pathologists when an autopsy is deemed necessary. He said the state has a contract with the University of North Dakota (UND) for forensic-pathology services and that the state forensic-pathologist position is currently vacant.

On funeral practices, the House amendment arose from a request by a House member representing funeral directors. The amendment clarifies that funeral-home employees (when licensed) may perform gravesite services for cremated remains, aligning funeral-practice rules with what the public can already do.

The committee gave the bill a do-pass recommendation on a 6-0 vote.","The Senate Human Services Committee advanced House Bill 1068 to move autopsy-record and image-release rules into a single chapter of state law and to amend funeral-practice language so licensed funeral-home employees may perform certain graveside services.",{"_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},6326972,"Senate committee backs changing pay rate for Senior Community Service Employment Program to boost participation",1322,31520,1354110,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323571-acd5ad9bae6c79297d8f843c7811d16e&start=31&end=1354","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323571-acd5ad9bae6c79297d8f843c7811d16e/thumbnail_31520.jpg","/articles/6326972/North-Dakota/Senate-committee-backs-changing-pay-rate-for-Senior-Community-Service-Employment-Program-to-boost-participation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326972-d7cd2ce1913c5c4635d6b5023153357f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770939681&Signature=WcdIS~M6lgr0QSN1-RPPOQU9SyPb3uEf~CV5pA-a8nmO1NEt1ZrGUPA7t3Y0a43VA8zUo4gWwTEttVDTS-cjUrFoTetTc8A188HW6k0P7js21QqY25SYaMejGYfi3DAuPE~0t-KTFhZlNO77KaJHIxgs4OBwFo5ZlopnqlXTkmFzTF9BAiFQJ2PGTIurjapIjZMDRW1BiaZfch9QJk9VJjf7xkMNAmzHbx7tzQiAq6TmrfOL9KYzwwMSiRzGXTRT4TaLg5IpBYchLI~mc9qHIBPw6Nudbrur-nEb1glVioMbl30qb-toyGySYxmD9ZnW2atW-A~AYAS89KCGuB0A~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Human Services Committee voted 6-0 to give House Bill 1066 a “do pass” recommendation after hearing from Jim Fleming, interim director of the Vocational Rehabilitation program at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

HHS asked the committee to authorize a compensation rate limited to participants in the Senior Community Service Employment Program, a federally funded training program for low-income North Dakotans age 55 and older. \"It is one of those odd situations where we are asking for your permission to spend more money so we can save yet even more money,\" Fleming told the committee, adding the change would allow North Dakota to fully utilize federal grant dollars rather than refunding unused funds.

The bill would set an initial $12-per-hour rate for CSEP participants while giving HHS rulemaking authority to adjust the rate later. Fleming said the department receives a $480,000 annual federal allotment for CSEP under the Older Americans Act and that federal regulations require that participants be paid the applicable minimum wage. He told the committee that with the federal minimum wage as the threshold, states with higher prevailing wages can better use CSEP funds because training pay approaches entry-level wages and participation rises.

Fleming described how limited participation and low weekly training hours reduce the share of federal funds available for administrative costs (currently capped at 13% of total expenditures), forcing the state to cover administrative expenses when the cap is not met. \"We are not asking for additional funds to operate CSEP. To the contrary, it'll actually save the state money because it will reduce the risk of the state needing to pay a share of the cost of administering CSEP,\" Fleming said.

Committee members asked how the $7.8 million referenced in testimony relates to CSEP. Fleming said the $7.8 million is North Dakota's Older Americans Act allotment for multiple aging programs; operating CSEP is one condition of receiving those federal funds. Senators also questioned why the change was limited to CSEP rather than a statewide minimum-wage increase; Fleming said the bill originally used the phrase \"minimum wage\" but the House amended it to create a program-specific compensation rate to avoid broader political controversy.

Fleming told the committee that HHS currently employs three temporary CSEP coordinators and that higher pay should increase participation and hours worked per participant. He said the department will monitor participation and wages and could use rulemaking to adjust the rate if needed. The committee passed the bill on a 6-0 vote. The committee named a senator to carry the bill to the floor.

Votes at a glance

House Bill 1066 — Do pass recommendation, 6-0 (Senator Lee: Aye; Senator Weston: Aye; Senator Roers: Aye; Senator Hogan: Aye; Senator Van Osteen: Aye; Senator Clemens: Aye).","The Senate Human Services Committee advanced House Bill 1066, a departmental request to set a program-specific compensation rate for Senior Community Service Employment Program (CSEP) participants so federal funds can be fully used and state administrative costs reduced.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee approves amendment, then passes Senate Bill 2297 on informed consent for incapacitated individuals

Committee consolidates autopsy-record rules and amends funeral-practice language in House Bill 1068

Senate committee backs changing pay rate for Senior Community Service Employment Program to boost participation