Sen. Dick Dever

Maddy summaryHB 1338 requires North Dakota's Department of Health and Human Services to determine if an individual involved in a child abuse or neglect allegation is military-connected during investigations. If the individual is military-affiliated, the department must notify the nearest military installation's family advocacy program about the case. This directly affects military-connected parents, guardians, or caregivers in child welfare cases across the state. The law creates a specific procedural step to coordinate child welfare investigations with military support services.

Maddy summaryHB 1161 creates a state-funded pool to cover salaries for vacant full-time staff positions at North Dakota's public colleges and universities. Institutions must transfer unused funding for vacant positions (as of December 1 of the prior even year) to a central pool annually. Institutions can then request allocations from this pool to fill vacancies or hire temporary staff, but only if they prove no other federal or external funds are available. The bill requires the state board to report on vacancy rates, fund usage, and savings from unfilled positions.

Maddy summarySB 2358 allows rural ambulance district boards of directors in North Dakota to set compensation rates for their members, removing the previous restriction that required them to serve without pay (except for the secretary-treasurer). This change directly affects rural ambulance district boards across the state, enabling them to pay board members based on locally determined rates. The bill also clarifies that no more than two board members may be employees of the licensed ambulance service operating in the district, and those members must qualify as volunteers under state law. The policy update modifies existing law to provide flexibility in board compensation while maintaining representation rules.

Maddy summarySB 2164 amends North Dakota law to clarify when financial institutions may share customer information with the North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project. It specifically permits disclosure to this project for investigating abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of individuals with disabilities under Chapter 25-01.3, while making clear financial institutions are not required to investigate or report such issues. The bill ensures any disclosure remains limited to what's necessary for the investigation and adheres to existing confidentiality rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1293 creates a North Dakota program providing small, durable medallions to identify veteran status on headstones or grave markers. It directly affects National Guard and National Guard Reserve members buried outside state veterans' cemeteries who do not qualify for existing state or federal medallions. The Department of Veterans' Affairs will administer the program, issuing these medallions as a way to honor veterans' service on their existing gravesites. The bill establishes this as a new policy under North Dakota law, effective after the Governor signed it on March 14, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1403 designates the third Friday in September each year as "Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Day" in North Dakota. The bill requires the governor to issue an annual proclamation recognizing this day to honor military personnel held captive or missing in action. It specifically clarifies that this designation does not mandate school or business closures, as it is a ceremonial observance, not a mandated holiday. The bill was signed into law by the governor on March 14, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1212 designates a specific segment of North Dakota State Highway 18 - from its intersection with Highway 5 to the Canadian border - as the "PFC. Henry Gurke Memorial Highway." The bill requires the state Department of Transportation to install signs along this route bearing the memorial name and allows acceptance of donated funds for sign placement. This is a purely ceremonial bill with no substantive policy changes, affecting only the highway signage in that corridor.

Maddy summaryHB 1180 amends North Dakota law to clarify eligibility for veteran benefits, directly affecting veterans with service-connected disabilities, their dependents, and surviving spouses. It updates definitions to include veterans with a 100% service-connected disability (including those with extra-schedular ratings for total disability), expanding who qualifies as a "dependent" for benefits like education assistance and employment preferences. Key provisions include allowing spouses of disabled veterans to claim employment preference if the veteran cannot, and extending free distinctive vehicle license plates (for up to two vehicles) to disabled veterans and surviving spouses receiving VA dependency compensation. The bill also clarifies residency requirements for dependents and streamlines proof of VA compensation eligibility.

Relating to placing the name of a candidate on the primary election ballot; and to repeal sections 16.1‑11‑05.1, 16.1‑11‑09, and 16.1‑11‑36 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to party organization endorsements, certificates of endorsement, and the minimum vote required at a primary election for nomination.

Maddy summaryHB 1465 amends North Dakota's gaming tax code (Section 53-06.1-12) to reduce tax rates for licensed gaming organizations, such as casinos and racetracks. It lowers the top tax rate from 12% to 6% for businesses with quarterly revenue exceeding $250,000, while maintaining a 1% rate for revenue under $150,000 and a $500 flat fee plus 6% for revenue between $150,000 and $250,000. The bill directly affects gaming businesses by changing how their tax burden is calculated based on quarterly revenue. This represents a concrete policy change to reduce taxes for higher-revenue gaming operators. The bill was introduced in 2025 but failed to pass in February 2025.