The North Dakota Senate passed Senate Bill 23-85 on Feb. 17, creating a receivership process for mobile home parks in serious disrepair, requiring annual ownership disclosures, and expanding tenant protections, including a defense to eviction. The final vote was 45 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent.

Senator Kessel, the bill’s sponsor, said the bill provides a practical solution when park owners fail to maintain safe conditions. "This ensures that when a park has serious violations threatening residents' health and safety, there's a clear process to protect those families while bringing the property back into compliance," Kessel told the chamber.

Key provisions described on the floor include a receivership program focused on remediation rather than a permanent ownership transfer, an annual reporting requirement for basic ownership and contact information, limits on late fees, rules that require individual utility metering before charging separate utility fees, and clearer eviction-notice requirements.

Senator Kessel said the bill balances protections for residents while not unduly burdening responsibly operated parks. The fiscal note read on the floor indicated no fiscal impact. The measure passed unanimously among voting senators and will proceed to the next legislative steps.