The North Dakota House of Representatives considered more than a dozen bills on Feb. 10, 2025, approving measures that raise penalties for some DUI offenses, clarify release rules for autopsy records, change requirements for roundabout signaling and create higher wages for a senior employment program, and rejecting several other bills including a proposed increase in the cap on non‑economic medical malpractice damages.

Why it matters: The package passed or rejected by lawmakers affects criminal penalties, school policy implementation, landlord-tenant procedures, state tax and banking definitions, and the state’s use of federal workforce and public‑health resources. Several measures drew extended debate on enforcement and local impact, while others advanced with unanimous or lopsided votes.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 15-03 — Passed (87–3). Amends the statute governing injury caused while operating a vehicle under the influence, raising maximum penalties for certain offenses and aligning sentencing ranges with other felony classes. The chamber recorded broad support after proponents described severe, sometimes lifelong victim injuries.

- House Bill 12-06 — Passed (75–13). Expands covered substances beyond alcohol for certain DUI-related penalties and adds a minimum sentence and graduated penalties where a minor is present.

- House Bill 15-18 — Passed (87–1). Removes a prior requirement that a driver in a roundabout signal before exiting.

- House Bill 10-68 — Passed (91–0). Clarifies which forensic examiner records and autopsy materials may be released, sets conditions for release and defines working papers and exceptions for funeral practice employees.

- House Bill 14-41 — Passed (61–30). Creates a chapter addressing specie (gold/silver) legal tender and related tax/treatment language after committee amendment and debate about bank obligations and central bank digital currency (CBDC) definitions.

- House Bill 10-66 — Passed (87–1). Raises the compensation rate for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) to better use federal Older Americans Act funds and attract participants.

- House Bill 11-94 — Passed (73–13). Amends statutes on false information or false reports to law enforcement; requires reporting suspected false reports to a state's attorney (does not compel prosecution).

- House Bill 14-18 — Passed (83–7). Adds an offense (harassing a public-safety agency/making a false report) to the list of circumstances in which officers may arrest without a warrant.

- House Bill 15-61 — Passed (91–0). Creates a new section addressing a commercial entity's liability for publishing or distributing material harmful to a minor and sets requirements for digital age verification and limited exceptions for bona fide news organizations.

- House Bill 11-44 — Passed (73–18). Amends school restroom-accommodation law to clarify that single-room unisex designs that remove male/female restroom designation do not satisfy the statute, adds a mechanism for investigations and penalties for noncompliance, and adds limited plumbing-board-related concessions for older facilities.

- House Bill 13-92 — Failed (21–609 registered as a tally error in the record; final declared failed). Proposed optional single-license-plate program with fees; the transportation committee reported a do-not-pass recommendation citing enforcement and law-enforcement concerns.

- House Bill 12-72 — Failed (41–47). Proposed mandatory in-person move-in and move-out inspections for leased property; the industry committee recommended do-not-pass citing existing statutory language and administrative burdens for small landlords.

- House Bill 13-49 — Failed (30–61). Proposed doubling the cap on non‑economic damages in health-care malpractice suits from $500,000 to $1,000,000; the chamber rejected the change after extended debate about insurance premiums, rural provider access and the effect on recruiting physicians.

- House Bill 15-85 — Failed (41–15). Would have required peace officers to report undocumented immigrants to federal immigration authorities; supporters argued it clarifies practice, opponents said it micromanages local law enforcement.

- House Bill 11-02 — Failed (20–69). Appropriation request for two Bureau of Criminal Investigation cybercrime positions for Northeast North Dakota and equipment; the appropriations committee recommended do-not-pass, noting it was not included in the AG’s budget request.

What lawmakers debated

Several bills drew extended floor debate and committee-level testimony. Lawmakers argued over enforcement burdens, local impacts and downstream costs:

- Restroom policy: House Bill 11-44 revises a 2023 law on school restroom use. Supporters said the bill clarifies the legislature’s intent and adds enforcement tools where districts did not comply; opponents, including architects and some school-district representatives, said single-occupancy unisex restroom designs can increase privacy, reduce bullying and be cost-efficient. Representative Fraley, the bill sponsor in committee, framed the bill as an enforcement clarification and urged support; opponents pressed the chamber about construction costs and unintended effects on new school designs. The bill passed 73–18.

- Medical malpractice cap: House Bill 13-49 sparked detailed floor debate. Proponents urged increasing the non‑economic damages cap to reflect inflation and quality-of-life harms; opponents — and multiple health-care, hospital and business groups that filed testimony — warned the change could raise malpractice insurance premiums and reduce rural provider access. The measure failed 30–61.

- Specie and CBDC language: House Bill 14-41 generated discussion about whether the state could or should treat gold and silver as legal tender and how banks would accommodate any change. The industry committee amended the bill to clarify that financial institutions would not be forced to accept specie or a hypothetical U.S. central bank digital currency as legal tender; the amended bill passed 61–30.

- Landlord-tenant inspections: House Bill 12-72 proposed mandatory in-person move-in and move-out inspections. Supporters said the bill protects tenants from unfair charges and codifies best practice; the industry committee and opponents said existing statutes already address inspections and the bill would impose added burdens on small landlords. The bill failed 41–47.

Fiscal and implementation notes

- House Bill 13-92 (single-plate option) carried a fiscal note estimating additional revenue of $1,558,000 in the 2025–27 biennium and $345,400 in 2027–29 if enacted; the transportation committee nonetheless recommended do-not-pass.

- House Bill 10-66 (SCSEP) included an appropriation to raise participant compensation; committee analysis estimated $213,000 in additional other-fund expenditures for each of the 2025–27 and 2027–29 biennia to maximize use of federal Older Americans Act funds.

- House Bill 11-02 (BCI cyber positions) requested roughly $161,000 for equipment; the appropriations committee said the request was not in the AG’s budget and recommended do-not-pass.

Speakers and attributions

Speakers quoted or specifically identified on the floor included multiple Representatives and committee chairs who presented committee recommendations or debated bills. Quotations in the record were limited and are attributed to the named representatives speaking on the floor; for example, Representative Fraley (human services committee) described HB 11-44 as clarifying enforcement of current law and asked members to "please vote green." All direct attributions in this article are drawn from the floor transcript of the Feb. 10, 2025 House session.

Looking ahead

Bills that passed will move to the Senate for consideration (or to the governor where appropriate). Several failed measures (including the malpractice cap and certain transportation and immigration measures) may be reintroduced in amended form in future sessions or handled by committee work over interim months.

Ending

The House adjourned until 12:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, after completing the day’s orders of business.