Relating to the definition of a public library, required safety policies and technology protection measures, and the state's attorney's review of public libraries, school districts, and state agencies for compliance with statutes protecting minors from explicit sexual material; to amend and reenact subsection 5 of section 12.1‑27.1‑01, subsection 2 of section 12.1‑27.1‑03.1, and sections 12.1‑27.1‑03.5 and 12.1‑27.1‑11 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to obscenity control; to provide for a report to the legislative management; and to provide a penalty.
SB 2386 amends North Dakota's cottage food law to restrict how small-scale food businesses can sell products. It prohibits interstate sales, internet/phone/mail transactions, and the sale of uninspected meat or poultry products, with specific limits for poultry: operators may slaughter no more than 1,000 birds yearly, cannot buy/sell outside their own production, and must ensure products are non-adulterated. This directly affects cottage food operators who sell homemade food, limiting their sales channels and product types. The law, signed by the governor on March 20, 2025, clarifies regulatory boundaries for these small businesses.
HB 1616 modifies North Dakota's voter list access rules to clarify who can obtain voter data and for what purposes. It allows candidates, political parties, and committees to access voter lists for election-related activities but prohibits selling or misusing the data. The bill also creates new protections by making "secured active" voter records exempt from disclosure and specifies that funds from producing voter lists must go into the secretary of state's general fund. These changes directly affect political campaigns, election officials, and voters whose data is managed through the central voter file.
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 1320 would prohibit creating or distributing AI-altered videos or images that falsely depict someone without their consent, with the intent to deceive. This applies to anyone sharing such "deepfake" content, including on social media or other platforms. Violations would be classified as a class A misdemeanor, potentially resulting in fines or jail time. The law specifically targets deceptive digital content meant to harm reputations or spread misinformation.
