Rep. Jim Grueneich

Maddy summarySB 2206 changes North Dakota law regarding civil lawsuits involving commercial motor carriers (like trucking companies) and safety belt usage. It reduces the statute of limitations for certain injury or death claims from three years to two years and caps non-economic damages (like pain and suffering) at $500,000 per case against these carriers. The bill also clarifies that failing to wear a safety belt in a vehicle, as required by law, cannot be used as direct evidence of negligence in court but may reduce awarded damages by up to 1% if proven to have contributed to the injury. These changes apply specifically to civil actions arising from commercial motor vehicle operations.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 would have amended North Dakota law to require state surplus motor vehicles to be offered first to local governments (like cities and counties) for 14 days at 30% below fair market value, before being made available to other eligible state agencies or nonprofits. This change aimed to prioritize local governments for purchasing surplus state vehicles at a discounted rate. The bill applied specifically to motor vehicles designated as surplus property under state code. The legislation was introduced in January 2025 but withdrawn in February 2025 without becoming law.

Maddy summaryThis bill would limit annual maintenance fees for drainage systems to $4 per acre on farmland, with two calculation methods: either based on historical benefit levels or uniform assessment across all farmland. Non-farm property would be charged up to $2 for every $500 in taxable value. It also allows drainage districts to accumulate funds over six years if annual fees don’t cover repair costs, and requires landowner approval via recorded vote for costs exceeding that six-year limit. The bill directly affects agricultural and non-agricultural landowners in North Dakota drainage districts.

Maddy summaryHB 1182 allocates $611,000 from North Dakota's Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund to Dickey County for a specific road project. The funding would replace a culvert system and raise the road grade to address recurring flooding on a local road. This one-time appropriation is intended for the 2025-2027 biennium and directly supports Dickey County's infrastructure needs. The bill does not create new regulations but provides targeted financial support for a flood mitigation project.

Relating to a property tax exemption for certain agricultural land upon which an easement has been granted to the United States; and to provide an effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 1264 appropriates $75,000 from the general fund to the North Dakota State Historical Society for a one-time bridge construction project at Whitestone Hill State Historic Site. The funding is allocated for the 2025-2027 biennium and is specifically designated for infrastructure improvements at the site. This procedural bill directly affects the State Historical Society and the Whitestone Hill site by providing dedicated capital for physical enhancements.

Maddy summaryHB 1552 would limit home rule counties and cities in North Dakota to a maximum 3% sales, use, or gross receipts tax rate after June 30, 2025. It prohibits new taxes or rate increases above 3% for existing local taxes after that date, though taxes approved before July 1, 2025, at higher rates could continue until their approved expiration period ended. The bill affects all counties and cities with home rule authority that levy these local taxes. It takes effect for taxable events occurring after June 30, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1271 would amend a North Dakota law to expand exceptions for when property deeds do not require a "statement of full consideration" (a document detailing the transaction's value). It specifically adds exemptions for sales involving agricultural lands under 80 acres, family or corporate affiliate transactions, estate settlements, forced sales, and nonprofit organization transfers. This change would directly affect property sellers and buyers in these specific transaction types by reducing administrative paperwork. The bill aims to streamline property transfers for these common scenarios without requiring additional documentation. (Note: The bill failed to pass in committee and on the floor.)

Maddy summarySB 2166 would require North Dakota's Tax Commissioner to create a public website portal providing property tax information for all parcels across the state. The portal must include interactive data on tax collections by local taxing districts (updated annually), contact details for elected officials associated with each parcel, and educational tools to help residents understand property taxes. County auditors would submit annual property tax data and official contact information to the portal, and the Tax Commissioner would report on its progress and usage every two years. The bill allocates $5 million in one-time funding for development, directly affecting all North Dakota residents who pay property taxes and local governments that collect them.

Maddy summaryHB 1462 would have amended North Dakota law to expand exemptions from hunting, fishing, and trapping license requirements. It would have allowed landowners and their families to hunt, fish, or trap on their own land without a license, permitted youth under 16 to fish without a license, and extended fishing exemptions to certain institutions like schools and hospitals. The bill also included provisions for military personnel on leave and governor-declared free fishing days. However, the bill was withdrawn from consideration before moving forward in the legislative process.