AN ACT to create and enact eight new sections to chapter 43-09 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the regulation of conveyances and elevator contractors, mechanics, and inspectors; to amend and reenact sections 43-09-01 and 43-09-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to definitions applicable to conveyance regulation and the membership of the state electrical board; to provide a penalty; and to provide for application.
SB 2336 creates a new regulatory framework in North Dakota for “conveyances,” a term that includes elevators, escalators, stairway chairs, platform lifts, hoists, dumbwaiters, moving walks, automated people movers, and certain other lifting or transport devices. The bill expands and clarifies definitions in chapter 43-09 and increases the membership of the state electrical board from five to six members, adding an elevator mechanic to the board’s required composition. It also gives the board authority to adopt rules for inspection, testing, complaint handling, fee schedules, and limited exceptions or variances.
The bill requires conveyance owners to register equipment with the board, requires permits before installation or alteration, and establishes procedures for permit revocation, expiration, and annual certificates of operation. It also requires accident reporting within 48 hours for incidents involving death or injury requiring medical treatment, and it sets registration requirements for elevator inspectors and elevator contractors. The measure phases in acceptance testing and full-load safety testing over several years, with key deadlines beginning in 2026 and the five-year full-load safety test taking effect in 2032.
SB 2336 would significantly expand state oversight of elevators and related conveyances by placing them under a formal registration, permitting, inspection, testing, and certification system administered by the state electrical board. It creates new compliance duties for owners, contractors, mechanics, and inspectors, and authorizes penalties for failure to obtain a certificate of operation. The bill also exempts certain categories from board rules, including elevators in single-family private residences, energy-generation facilities, industrial conveyances not primarily used to move people, and agricultural-facility conveyances.
The bill appears to have broad support overall, passing the Senate 46-1 and the House 77-15. Those vote totals suggest strong bipartisan agreement that a statewide conveyance safety and inspection framework is needed. The lack of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the final votes indicate the measure was generally viewed favorably as a public-safety and regulatory modernization bill.
The main points of potential contention are the scope and cost of the new regulatory regime. Owners and industry participants may be affected by registration requirements, permit applications, annual certificates, inspection/testing mandates, and board fees set to recover actual administrative costs. Another likely issue is the bill’s phased implementation timeline, which delays some testing requirements for several years, suggesting lawmakers balanced safety goals against industry readiness and compliance burden. The exemptions for private residences, agricultural facilities, and certain industrial or energy-generation conveyances also indicate an effort to limit the bill’s reach where lawmakers may have seen lower risk or greater practical difficulty in regulation.