Rep. Jim Kasper

Maddy summaryHB 1509 amends North Dakota's Century Code (section 4.1-09-19) to clarify procedures for oilseed producers seeking refunds of assessments paid to the oilseed council. Producers must submit a refund request within 60 days of payment and provide assessment records within 90 days after one year, triggering a 30-day refund processing window by the council. The bill requires the council to provide a refund form online and sets a $5 minimum refund threshold. It does not change the assessment amount or create new policies, only standardizing the refund process for affected producers.

Maddy summaryHB 1472 would have created a legal framework for microschools in North Dakota - defined as educational programs serving no more than 50 students, operated by parents, entrepreneurs, or teachers. The bill would have allowed microschools to operate in homes, community spaces, or public venues without special zoning approvals, while exempting them from standard teacher certification, building codes, and childcare regulations. Parents would have needed to notify school districts of their child’s enrollment, but students would have still met school attendance requirements and been required to take standardized tests in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. The bill also ensured microschool students could not face discrimination in public school admissions or activities. (Note: The bill failed to pass in February 2025 with 41 votes in favor and 49 against.)

Maddy summaryHB 1411 prohibits North Dakota state agencies, courts, and political subdivisions from adopting, implementing, or enforcing "extreme risk protection provisions" - rules or court orders that temporarily restrict firearm access for individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others. The bill explicitly bans such provisions (excluding domestic violence or mental health orders) and states that violating this prohibition is a class B felony. It also prevents state agencies from using public funds to support any related enforcement. This bill directly affects courts, law enforcement, and state agencies by blocking the implementation of "red flag" laws at the state level.

Maddy summaryHB 1352 would amend North Dakota law to allow churches and places of worship to permit individuals with valid concealed firearm permits to carry weapons inside their buildings. The bill creates liability protection for churches if they permit such carry, stating they cannot be held responsible for injuries caused by authorized individuals. It specifies that churches may allow concealed carry only for people already authorized under existing concealed carry laws (like reciprocity agreements) or with the church's approval. This policy change directly affects religious institutions and individuals seeking to carry firearms in places of worship, while maintaining prohibitions on firearms for most others in these settings.

Relating to a district endorsing caucus or convention; and to amend and reenact sections 16.1‑03‑11, 16.1‑03‑14, 16.1‑11‑01, 16.1‑12‑10, and 16.1‑13‑04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to state party conventions and endorsing caucuses or conventions for primary and general elections.

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 summaryHB 1245 amends North Dakota's election offense laws to clarify and strengthen penalties for various voting and petition-related violations. It specifically prohibits paying individuals based on the number of signatures collected for election petitions (like initiatives or referendums), while allowing standard salaries not tied to signature counts. The bill also defines new offenses, such as signing petitions with false names, submitting petitions with fraudulent signatures, and obstructing voters at polling places. Violations can result in fines, misdemeanor charges, or felony convictions, with organizations facing business license revocation. This directly affects voters, election officials, petition circulators, and political organizations involved in ballot measure campaigns.

Maddy summaryHB 1290 amends North Dakota's gaming commission rules to prohibit requiring electronic pull tab games to close at the end of a quarter. Instead, it allows the commission to mandate quarterly reports for these games. The bill directly affects state gaming regulators and businesses operating electronic pull tab systems. Key provisions prevent mandatory game closures while maintaining reporting requirements to ensure transparency and compliance. This change modifies existing rules under North Dakota Century Code section 53-06.1-01.1, subsection 4.

Maddy summaryHB 1409 defines "interest" in North Dakota court cases to include both legal and equitable claims, requiring courts to interpret it broadly. It specifies that an "interested party" in any civil or criminal case includes anyone whose property, rights, or benefits may be affected by a court decision. The bill establishes a clear standard for who can participate in legal proceedings based on their stake in the outcome. As a procedural definition bill, it does not create new policies or directly affect specific groups, but rather clarifies court eligibility standards. The bill failed to pass in the North Dakota legislature in February 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1276 clarifies that political organizations - including candidate committees, political action committees, and state political parties - may use net raffle proceeds for political purposes under North Dakota law. It amends a statute to explicitly state that "public-spirited use" includes political purposes for these organizations, removing ambiguity about fund usage. The bill specifies that such organizations must disclose their intended use of raffle income on permit applications, while other public-spirited groups remain restricted to non-political uses. This change directly affects political groups seeking to fund campaigns through raffles, aligning their permitted activities with existing definitions. The bill was introduced in 2025 but failed to pass in February 2025.