Votes at a glance: North Dakota Senate actions include votes on education, agriculture, public safety and regulatory changes
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Summary
The Senate considered and voted on a broad package of House bills on April 4. This roundup lists each final floor action recorded in the transcript, with outcomes and key details; contested debates are reported in separate stories.
Bismarck — The following is a consolidated summary of final floor actions recorded in the Senate transcript for the session excerpt provided. Where the transcript recorded a roll‑call tally or committee recommendation, that tally is listed. If the transcript did not specify a detail, the entry lists it as “not specified.”
Votes and final actions (selected bills recorded in the transcript):
- House Bill 15‑37 (service‑agreement protection between cities and rural water districts): Final tally 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent; passed with emergency clause (recorded as the bill "is passed and the emergency clause carries"). Committee discussion described ongoing litigation and potential taxpayer exposure; bill applies to agreements made prior to Jan. 1, 2025 and exempts litigation commenced before that date.
- House Bill 15‑91 (county fair resiliency grant program): Final tally 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent; passed with emergency clause. Amendment reduced appropriation to $1.5 million and moved funding to the SIF fund; grants include matching requirements.
- House Bill 14‑66 (domestic and manufacturing distillery definitions; satellite locations): Final tally 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent; passed. Amendment increased production thresholds and clarified satellite permissions.
- House Bill 10‑27 (administration of state fire and tornado fund moved to Office of Management and Budget): Final tally 41 ayes, 4 nays, 2 absent; passed. Includes a legislative management study provision and transfer of administrative responsibility from the Insurance Commissioner to OMB.
- House Bill 14‑98 (authority for career & technical centers to pay first‑year signing bonuses): Final tally 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent; passed with emergency clause. No state appropriation; authority limited to center budgets.
- House Bill 13‑08 (human trafficking commission changes): Final tally 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent; passed. Amendments designate standalone commission membership, expand prevention education, and grant civil immunity for good‑faith reporting for certain regulated professions.
- House Bill 10‑49 (audiology and speech‑language licensing changes, temporary licensure): Final tally 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent; passed. Amendments expand licensing pathways and permit the board to request records in investigations (subject to federal privacy rules/subpoena standards).
- House Bill 12‑58 (energy transmission siting — PSC preemption of local ordinances for high‑voltage lines): Final tally 27 ayes, 18 nays, 2 absent; passed. Extensive public comment and floor debate are covered in a separate article.
- House Bill 12‑29 (statutory fees and owner responsibility when a driver flees a peace officer): Final tally 29 ayes, 16 nays, 2 absent; passed. Emergency clause failed. See separate article for debate and constitutional concerns.
- House Bill 14‑42 (legislative task force on government efficiency): Final tally 41 ayes, 4 nays, 2 absent; passed with emergency clause. Task force to review agency budgets, identify duplication, and report to Legislative Management; sunset 2031.
- House Bill 12‑03 (regulating edible medical marijuana products/packaging): Final tally 42 ayes, 3 nays, 2 absent; passed.
- House Bill 14‑29 (prohibiting harassment/stalking of animals with drones): Final tally 45 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent; passed.
Bills that failed final passage (selected):
- House Bill 12‑91 (legislative study relating to immigration law): Final tally recorded as 1 aye, 44 nays, 2 absent; bill lost.
- House Bill 12‑20 (North Dakota accelerated degree for high‑demand occupations): Final tally 7 ayes, 38 nays, 2 absent; bill lost.
- House Bill 11‑60 (ban on personal electronic devices during instructional time statewide): Final tally 19 ayes, 26 nays, 2 absent; bill lost.
- House Bill 14‑64 (legislative study on maternal care services): Final tally 19 ayes, 26 nays, 2 absent; bill lost.
Context and process notes: - The transcript records committee carriers explaining amendments, committee votes, and final roll‑call tallies recorded by the secretary. When the transcript did not list an individual mover or seconder for a floor motion, the summary uses the committee carrier language and the roll‑call tallies recorded. - Where the transcript explicitly states exceptions, appropriation amounts, or retroactivity, those are noted; where the transcript did not provide a numeric detail, entries use "not specified." For example, the amendments to HB 14‑48 included a $300,000 appropriation (committee added) and were re‑referred to Appropriations; that item is recorded in the transcript under proposed amendments.
What to watch next: - Bills that passed with emergency clauses may have immediate effect; those without will follow standard effective dates if ultimately enacted. - HB 12‑58 contains a retroactive provision flagged in floor debate; stakeholders noted it could affect ongoing PSC proceedings.
For reporters and stakeholders: each bill listed above has supporting transcript segments cited in the legislative record and in the individual articles for major debates.