Rep. Karen Rohr

Maddy summaryHB 1514 would have prohibited "harmful atmospheric activity" in North Dakota, including weather modification techniques like cloud seeding, stratospheric aerosol injection, and unmarked aircraft operations that could harm humans or the environment. It defined specific prohibited actions, set a class C felony penalty with up to $500,000 fines for violations, and created a reporting system for citizens to document suspected incidents with evidence like photos or radiation measurements. The bill also established technical limits for electromagnetic radiation and required sheriffs or the environmental director to investigate reports within 24 hours. This bill failed to pass in the North Dakota legislature on February 24, 2025, with 28 votes in favor and 63 against.

Maddy summarySB 2355 would require North Dakota's public school science standards to include "intelligent design" as a "viable scientific theory" for all K-12 students by August 2027. The bill mandates the state superintendent to add it to curriculum standards, provide teachers with instructional materials supporting this view, and offer required training. The measure failed to pass in February 2025, receiving 22 votes in favor and 25 against. It directly affects science education content and teacher preparation in North Dakota public schools.

Maddy summaryHB 1519 requires North Dakota's Department of Health to compile and maintain individual death and vaccination records from the state's immunization and death registration systems. It mandates tracking specific details like vaccine type, date of vaccination, sex, race, and death dates within 720 days post-vaccination. The department must publish quarterly public reports on its website showing death rates for each vaccine type administered to over 20,000 people in the previous quarter, broken down by demographic groups and time intervals after vaccination. This bill directly affects the state health department's data management and public reporting processes.

Maddy summaryHB 1513 amends North Dakota law to require municipalities to notify property owners when sidewalks need construction, repair, or rebuilding. It mandates that notices must specify the required work, its character, and give owners at least two years and six months to complete it at their own expense, with work needing approval from the street commissioner or city engineer. Notices must be delivered via certified mail, in-person, or posting on vacant land, and if owners fail to act, the municipality will complete the work and bill the owner through a sidewalk fund. This directly affects property owners whose lots benefit from sidewalk improvements.

Maddy summaryHB 1141 would prohibit North Dakota government employees and officials from using public property (such as vehicles, buildings, or equipment) or public services (like employee time during work hours) for political activities. It defines "political purpose" broadly to include campaign ads, candidate endorsements, or using terms like "vote for" near elections, while exempting bona fide news coverage or public office duties. Violations could result in personal liability for officials or complaints filed with the ethics commission, which may refer criminal cases to prosecutors. The bill aims to prevent misuse of public resources for political gain during election periods.

Maddy summaryHB 1242 would establish a legal presumption that shared parenting (joint decisionmaking on major issues like education and health, plus approximately equal time with each parent) serves children's best interests in custody cases. This presumption applies unless a court finds specific exceptions, such as evidence of child harm, domestic violence involving serious injury or weapons, or sexual abuse. The bill requires courts to document specific reasons when overriding this presumption and mandates supervised parenting time for abusive parents in domestic violence cases. It directly affects parents in custody disputes and North Dakota courts handling parental rights decisions.

Maddy summarySB 2361 prohibits foreign adversaries (as defined by federal regulations) from purchasing or owning real property in North Dakota after July 31, 2023, directly affecting foreign governments and businesses meeting the "foreign adversary" criteria. The bill bans county and city governments from approving development agreements with such entities and requires foreign adversaries violating the law to divest all property within 36 months, with civil penalties up to $25,000 for non-compliance. Exceptions apply to entities registered for seven+ years, approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS), and holding active national security agreements with the federal government. The law includes enforcement mechanisms allowing state attorneys to initiate court actions for divestment and public sales of non-compliant property. This bill was introduced in 2025 but failed to pass in February 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 1573 would impose a $5 per ton tax on substances transported via pipelines longer than 25 miles (after July 31, 2025) for permanent underground storage in North Dakota. This tax applies to pipeline operators transporting materials for underground storage, requiring monthly reporting and payments to the state tax commissioner. Revenue collected would first fund the North Dakota Disaster Fund (up to $500 million), which can only cover pipeline-related emergency costs, specialized equipment, or training for pipeline hazards. Any excess revenue would go to the state general fund. The bill, which failed to pass in committee (23-61), aims to create a dedicated funding source for pipeline incident response.

Maddy summaryHB 1406 would require state agencies and the judiciary to wait until after the first legislative filing deadline to submit bills to the North Dakota legislature. Specifically, it mandates that executive branch agencies and the judicial branch cannot introduce bills before the deadline set for legislators to file their own proposals, with the legislative council notifying them of this December deadline each even-numbered year. This bill directly affects state agencies and courts by changing the timing for when they can propose new legislation. It is a procedural rule change with no direct impact on citizens or policy outcomes.