AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 15.1-09 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to human trafficking and exploitation prevention and awareness education for students at public schools and tribal schools.
SB 2330 creates a new section of North Dakota education law requiring school districts and tribal school governing boards to adopt policies on human trafficking and exploitation prevention and awareness education. The bill mandates schoolwide instruction for students in grades 6, 10, and 12, and requires that the education be provided annually, be developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and based on best practices. It also allows schools to use nonprofit organizations specializing in human trafficking outreach and education to deliver the instruction.
The bill further authorizes optional workshops or materials for parents and legal guardians to support instruction on personal safety and grooming prevention. The required curriculum may cover definitions of human trafficking and exploitation, state and national statistics, trafficking tactics, online activity and pornography, identifying victims, force/fraud/coercion, grooming, abuse and manipulation, the difference between trafficking and prostitution, demand creation, and reporting to authorities. The bill explicitly includes sex trafficking within the definition of human trafficking.
SB 2330 adds a new education requirement to chapter 15.1-09 of the North Dakota Century Code, affecting public school districts and schools operated by tribal governments. It imposes policy-adoption and curriculum obligations, but does not create criminal penalties or change trafficking offenses themselves; instead, it expands prevention and awareness duties within the school system. The bill also creates a role for nonprofit providers and encourages parent-facing educational resources.
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate unanimously and the House by a wide margin, indicating general agreement that human trafficking prevention education is a worthwhile school responsibility. The voting pattern suggests the measure was viewed favorably as a preventive and awareness-focused education policy rather than a controversial mandate.
No committee testimony or transcript discussion was provided, and the recorded votes show limited contention. The only notable points of possible debate inherent in the bill are the mandatory annual instruction requirements for specific grade levels, the inclusion of tribal schools, and the content areas involving pornography, grooming, and the distinction between trafficking and prostitution. However, the final vote totals suggest these issues did not generate significant opposition in the legislature.