SB 2178 amends North Dakota's election laws to update how voter data is stored and accessed. It specifies that the central voter file must include personal details like name, address, voting history, and driver's license numbers, while restricting access to certain data fields for political candidates and parties. The bill clarifies that only designated voter information (such as address and election preferences) can be used for election-related purposes, and "secured active" voter records remain private. It also standardizes absentee ballot application requirements for primary elections. The bill focuses on administrative clarity for voter file management.
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Elections
Relating to data security requirements for insurance producers; and to repeal section 26.1‑02.2‑11 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to implementation dates for certain data security requirements for insurance producers.
HB 1184 would allow North Dakota's Board of University and School Lands, State Investment Board, and State Treasurer to invest up to 10% of their managed funds in specific digital assets (like stablecoins or cryptocurrencies with a $500 billion+ average market cap) or precious metals (gold, platinum, or silver). The bill requires all digital asset investments to be held securely through approved custodians or exchange-traded products, with strict rules for staking or lending digital assets to avoid increasing state financial risk. It defines key terms like "stablecoin" (dollar-backed digital currency) and "secure custody solution" (requiring multi-location hardware storage and regular security audits). The policy directly affects how state investment entities manage public funds, but the bill failed to pass in January 2025 after committee review.
HB 1037 allocates $750,000 to each of five state departments (agriculture commissioner, attorney general, transportation department, health and human services, and career and technical education) for grants to support autonomous technology use. It provides funding for agriculture businesses to inspect property with drones, law enforcement for missing persons searches and crime scenes, and transportation entities to monitor highways using uncrewed aircraft systems. Recipients must match state funds at a 1:4 ratio and report grant usage to the legislature. The funds are one-time, covering the 2025-2027 biennium, with each department required to submit reports detailing grant recipients and expenditures.
HB 1134 prohibits the intentional online sharing of personally identifying information (like addresses, Social Security numbers, or phone numbers) to intimidate, harass, or frighten someone or their household or immediate family members. It defines "dissemination" as posting such information online or in public forums, and makes violations a class A misdemeanor, with harsher penalties (up to a class A felony) if the act causes bodily injury, serious harm, or death. The law applies to all electronic communications originating in or accessible within North Dakota and directly affects individuals targeted by such online harassment. Penalties increase based on the severity of harm caused, aiming to protect victims from digital intimidation campaigns.
Relating to the state information technology research center, advanced technology review committee, compute credits grant program, and advanced technology grant fund.
SB 2256 creates a new grant program in North Dakota for research technology parks, providing state funding to support these facilities. It directly affects eligible entities like universities, research institutions, or private developers seeking to establish or expand technology-focused park projects within the state. The bill authorizes a specific appropriation (funding allocation) for these grants and requires grantees to submit a report on program outcomes. This legislation establishes a formal mechanism for state financial support of research infrastructure development.
HB 1239 protects digital asset mining operations in North Dakota by preventing local governments from banning or restricting them in residential areas (if noise rules are followed) or imposing stricter rules than for other commercial businesses. It exempts blockchain-related activities - like operating nodes, mining, or developing blockchain software - from requiring a money transmitter license. The bill defines key terms such as "digital asset" (including cryptocurrencies and NFTs) and "digital asset mining" (using computers to validate blockchain transactions). These provisions directly affect miners, blockchain businesses, and local zoning authorities by creating clear regulatory boundaries for the industry.
HB 1249 allocates one-time state funds for autonomous technology grants to four state agencies: $250,000 to the Attorney General for law enforcement tools (like drones for missing persons searches), $500,000 to Career and Technical Education for workforce training in oil/gas, $250,000 to Health and Human Services for rural emergency response, and $500,000 to the Agriculture Commissioner for farm technology. Each agency must establish application guidelines requiring grant recipients to certify their use of autonomous tech (e.g., drones, vehicles) aligns with the agency’s mission and provide a 1:4 matching fund ratio. Recipients must report grant usage to lawmakers during the 2025-2026 interim. The bill covers a two-year period starting July 2025, with all funding designated as one-time.
HB 1200 amends North Dakota's high school graduation requirements to require one unit of computer science or cybersecurity (subdivision h) for all students, effective after July 31, 2025. It allows schools to grant credit for up to one unit of coursework under "emergent circumstances" (e.g., natural disasters disrupting normal education) by substituting alternative courses like dual-credit or electives. This applies to students in North Dakota public and nonpublic high schools who demonstrate such emergencies. The bill also updates existing GED credit provisions but focuses primarily on creating flexibility for emergency disruptions to graduation requirements.
