Human Services committee backs resolution urging primary prevention of vitamin D deficiency
February 12, 2025 | Human Services, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota
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The House Human Services Committee voted 11-0-2 to give a due pass to House Concurrent Resolution 3,014, a nonbinding resolution urging public‑health systems and providers to prioritize primary prevention of vitamin D deficiency through “multifaceted precision public health and medicine approaches.” The committee later placed the resolution on the consent calendar.
Rep. Karen Rohr, a nurse practitioner representing District 31, introduced HCR 3,014 on behalf of the North Dakota Nurses Association and asked the committee to acknowledge that North Dakota’s latitude and population determinants increase the state’s risk for vitamin D deficiency. “We are not asking you to give medical advice,” Rohr said. “A concurrent resolution is about you as the legislature making it a priority to say, we identify and acknowledge the scientific fact that our people are more at risk.”
The resolution drew substantive testimony from Dr. Beth Sanford, who identified herself as lead researcher for GrassrootsHealth Nutrient Research Institute’s North Dakota project and a doctor of nursing practice with a specialty in public health and policy. Sanford said North Dakota residents are “far below the national average,” adding that “pretty much across the board, 20 percent of our people are really in what is considered dismally low,” citing serum levels under 10 nanograms per milliliter as especially concerning. She tied vitamin D status to bone health, immune function and cellular regulation, and told the committee she had reviewed decades of published research documenting links between low vitamin D and mental‑health and maternal outcomes.
Sanford also described testing and cost issues raised during questioning. She told Vice Chairman Freilich that hospital charges in North Dakota can reach about $300 for a vitamin D test, that some private labs charge $50–$60, and that a hospital patient share can be about $125. Sanford said a lab manager quoted an actual laboratory cost of about $5 per test in the literature and provided a local example where a health system added vitamin D testing to annual labs for $15.00. “That’s the power of advocacy,” Sanford said, describing how local action can lower barriers to screening.
Sherry Miller, executive director of the North Dakota Nurses Association, also testified in support. She said NDNA supports the resolution because evidence links vitamin D deficiency to conditions including depression, anxiety and cognitive decline, and because improved vitamin D status may benefit nurses’ health and workplace performance.
Committee members asked technical questions about absorption cofactors (K2, magnesium) and about testing costs; Sanford responded that dietary cofactors and simple supplements can aid absorption and that testing costs vary widely by provider and payer. No witnesses or members spoke in opposition during the hearing.
Procedural actions: Representative Anderson moved a due pass on HCR 3,014, seconded by Vice Chairman Freilich. The clerk called the roll; the motion carried 11-0-2. Representative Dobrovich then moved to place the resolution on the consent calendar; that motion was seconded and carried without recorded opposition.
HCR 3,014 is a concurrent resolution (nonbinding) to urge public‑health systems and providers to prioritize primary prevention of vitamin D deficiency; the committee record shows unanimous committee support and placement on the consent calendar for floor consideration.
Rep. Karen Rohr, a nurse practitioner representing District 31, introduced HCR 3,014 on behalf of the North Dakota Nurses Association and asked the committee to acknowledge that North Dakota’s latitude and population determinants increase the state’s risk for vitamin D deficiency. “We are not asking you to give medical advice,” Rohr said. “A concurrent resolution is about you as the legislature making it a priority to say, we identify and acknowledge the scientific fact that our people are more at risk.”
The resolution drew substantive testimony from Dr. Beth Sanford, who identified herself as lead researcher for GrassrootsHealth Nutrient Research Institute’s North Dakota project and a doctor of nursing practice with a specialty in public health and policy. Sanford said North Dakota residents are “far below the national average,” adding that “pretty much across the board, 20 percent of our people are really in what is considered dismally low,” citing serum levels under 10 nanograms per milliliter as especially concerning. She tied vitamin D status to bone health, immune function and cellular regulation, and told the committee she had reviewed decades of published research documenting links between low vitamin D and mental‑health and maternal outcomes.
Sanford also described testing and cost issues raised during questioning. She told Vice Chairman Freilich that hospital charges in North Dakota can reach about $300 for a vitamin D test, that some private labs charge $50–$60, and that a hospital patient share can be about $125. Sanford said a lab manager quoted an actual laboratory cost of about $5 per test in the literature and provided a local example where a health system added vitamin D testing to annual labs for $15.00. “That’s the power of advocacy,” Sanford said, describing how local action can lower barriers to screening.
Sherry Miller, executive director of the North Dakota Nurses Association, also testified in support. She said NDNA supports the resolution because evidence links vitamin D deficiency to conditions including depression, anxiety and cognitive decline, and because improved vitamin D status may benefit nurses’ health and workplace performance.
Committee members asked technical questions about absorption cofactors (K2, magnesium) and about testing costs; Sanford responded that dietary cofactors and simple supplements can aid absorption and that testing costs vary widely by provider and payer. No witnesses or members spoke in opposition during the hearing.
Procedural actions: Representative Anderson moved a due pass on HCR 3,014, seconded by Vice Chairman Freilich. The clerk called the roll; the motion carried 11-0-2. Representative Dobrovich then moved to place the resolution on the consent calendar; that motion was seconded and carried without recorded opposition.
HCR 3,014 is a concurrent resolution (nonbinding) to urge public‑health systems and providers to prioritize primary prevention of vitamin D deficiency; the committee record shows unanimous committee support and placement on the consent calendar for floor consideration.
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