Education

HB 1333 proposes requiring North Dakota public school districts to provide students with at least 30 minutes for lunch daily between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. It also allows high school students to be excused from the class immediately following lunch if they obtain a counselor’s written verification and provide it to their teacher once per semester. The bill directly affects all North Dakota public school districts and their students, particularly high schoolers seeking flexibility in their schedules. If enacted, it would establish a concrete, mandatory lunch break duration standard across the state’s public schools. (Note: The bill failed to pass in February 2025.)

HB 1456 would establish a framework for certified chaplains in North Dakota public schools, allowing school districts to hire or volunteer certified chaplains (defined as those certified by national/state organizations or endorsed by religious groups) to provide support to students, staff, or parents. The bill requires background checks for all chaplains, prohibits individuals required to register as sex offenders from serving, and protects chaplains from liability unless actions were maliciously intended to harm. It allocates $500,000 from the state general fund for 2025-2027 to cover chaplain salaries, training, oversight, and program evaluation, with districts limited to $200,000 per school. The bill directly affects public school districts, chaplains, and students/staff seeking spiritual support, while exempting chaplains from standard education licensing requirements.

HB 1358 proposes creating a new legal framework for public charter schools in North Dakota. It would require the state education official to develop application processes, review charter requests, set annual limits (12 schools for 2025-26, increasing to 15 later), and manage funding based on student enrollment. The bill mandates charter schools to follow state assessments, prohibits charging tuition or licensing to others, and requires community representation on school boards. It also specifies that charter schools would receive state per-student funding but not local tax revenue, and would be eligible for federal funding.