Transcript Highlights:

• So now they have 30 days and they don't admit it, that's liability.
• And under the Products Liability Act, a product has to be a movable. It has to be a tangible thing.
• The witness also noted that the Products Liability Act was very new when they studied torts together,
• I understand that big tech doesn't want the liability because they are actually harming our kids.
• And so I'm hoping that when you have liability, you don't make those decisions.

Committee: Senate Judiciary A

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1296, health insurance, private employers coverage.
• insurance, private employers coverage.
• SB 1329, family court professional personnel liability.
• SB 1329, family court professional personnel liability. SB 1330, family court right to jury.
• SB 1347, health insurance fertility preservation coverage.

Transcript Highlights:

• insurance entities that are not insurance companies. companies. companies.
• But I up in insurance company's hands.
• </c> between private entities and insurers. between private entities and insurers. to<00:38:30.160><c
• </c><00:41:46.160><c> and</c><00:41:46.480><c> then</c> on the insurance industry and then on the insurance
• </c><00:55:09.200><c> to</c> the total long-term liability to the total long-term liability to taxpayers

Transcript Highlights:

• Insurance: 10,639. Unfunded liability: 122,988,967,431,782,266.
• Insurance 12 unfunded liability 13: 2,378,384. Amortization payments: 14165,911.
• > 13</c> insurance 12 unfunded liability 13 insurance 12 unfunded liability 13 2,378,384 2,378,384 2,378,384
• Insurance: $10,131,658. Unfunded liability: $12,896. Amortization payment: $71,355.
• a 7168 I 9 unfunded 7347 insurance a 7168 I 9 unfunded liability<05:53:01.440><c> 10850,355</c> liability

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> saves corporations money and liability saves corporations money and liability while<00:20:06.320
• ,<00:29:04.640><c> unemployment</c><00:29:05.240><c> insurance,</c> insurance, unemployment insurance
• , insurance, unemployment insurance, workers'<00:29:06.520><c> compensation</c> workers' compensation
• The Senate Bill 158 is an insurance bill that deals with what's called gap insurance and gap waivers
• </c> credit property insurance. credit property insurance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, guarding liability issues.
• or funds their insurer owns.
• Things like vaccine manufacturers are exempt from liability.
• Things like vaccine manufacturers are exempt from liability.
• Pregnancy does not wait on an insurance enrollment calendar.

Committee: Senate Health

Transcript Highlights:

• Only settlements included are third-party liability claims and workers' comp claims.
• to solvency, equity interests, and life insurers and insurers other than life insurers.
• , equity interests, and life insurers, and insurers other than life insurers.
• Insurance will meet at 9:00 a.m. in Committee Room 3.
• And insurance will meet 9 a.m. committee room 3, natural resources 9 a.m. Committee room 4.

Bills: HR188 , HR189 , HR190 , HR191 , HR179 , HR180 , HR181 , HR182 , HR183 , HR185 , HR186 , HR187 , HCR75 , HCR76 , HCR77 , HCR78 , HCR79 , SCR24 , SCR36 , SCR39 , SB64 , SB107 , SB152 , SB185 , SB217 , SB232 , SB278 , SB290 , SB294 , SB320 , SB321 , SB419 , SB424 , SB436 , SB440 , SB468 , SB470 , SB476 , SB482 , SB489 , HCR32 , SCR11 , HB12 , HB42 , HB205 , HB222 , HB267 , HB324 , HB325 , HB350 , HB478 , HB610 , HB617 , HB679 , HB745 , HB749 , HB797 , HB807 , HB821 , HB896 , HB979 , HB992 , HB1000 , HB1024 , HB1050 , HB1166 , HB1172 , HB1173 , HB1193 , HB1207 , HB1218 , HB1223 , SB256 , SB180 , HR1 , HR17 , HCR5 , HCR4 , HCR47 , HB59 , HB74 , HB159 , HB330 , HB364 , HB414 , HB458 , HB525 , HB568 , HB786 , HB1008 , HB1033 , HB1034 , HB1041 , HB1062 , HB1070 , HB1079 , HB1112 , HB1118 , HB1139 , HB1151 , HB1176 , HB1182 , HB1196 , HB1214 , HB1241 , HB87 , HB115 , HB162 , HB368 , HB433 , HB441 , HB447 , HB466 , HB481 , HB741 , HB1242 , HB362 , HB893 , HB990 , HB1007 , HB1153 , HB1243 , SB162 , SB349 , SB350 , SB382 , SB383 , SB127 , SB244 , HB615 , HB864 , HB1103 , HB1175 , HB31 , HB225 , HB608 , HB664 , HB897 , HB977 , HB1003 , HB1160 , HB1180 , HB911 , HB306 , HB366 , HB1161 , HB1230 , HB181 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HB284 , HB393 , HB459 , HB577 , HB582 , HB605 , HB614 , HB682 , HB733 , HB772 , HB773 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1058 , HB1082 , HB1113 , HB1189 , HB1234 , HB1240

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I think there should be some language or amendments that really address that liability concern
• And then those wells become the liability of the state of California to plug and abandon them.
• That's ...the liability of the state of California to plug and abandon them.
• If you sell a well from one company to the other, you retain all the liability.
• A.B. 1160. ...and financial reporting obscures those liabilities.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• medical coverage, medical liability as well.
• So contraband, and again, liability.
• So essentially, liability.
• But in all cases, the liability factor was challenged now.
• That complicates matters for the liability aspect.

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1803, which would regulate non-accredited veterans benefits claims assistance by prohibiting unrecognized agents or attorneys from preparing or prosecuting claims, limiting compensation practices, requiring written disclosures and cancellation rights, and making violations subject to Attorney General enforcement. Supporters, including the sponsor and several veterans, said the bill would create needed guardrails against predatory actors while preserving veterans’ choice to use free or paid help. Opponents and some neutral testimony, including a VA-accredited attorney and representatives of the VFW and American Legion, argued the bill still lacked sufficient protections, raised federal preemption concerns, and should require VA accreditation instead. After debate over fees, back pay, and the availability of free services, the committee adopted an amendment and gave SB 1803 a do pass recommendation by a 5-2 vote. The committee then heard SB 1232, a strike-everything amendment dealing with outdoor advertising signs in military airport and ancillary military facility overlay zoning districts. The bill would allow signs on property with a military compatibility permit in areas otherwise treated as residential under a zoning designation, which the sponsor and property representatives said was needed to resolve an ADOT permitting loophole for a specific parcel near Luke Air Force Base and the Northern Parkway. Members questioned whether the change was narrowly tailored, whether other properties could be affected, and whether ADOT and federal highway beautification rules would be satisfied. After the amendment was adopted, the committee approved SB 1232 on a 4-3 vote, with several members saying they would reserve the right to change their votes on the floor. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1511, which would prohibit operation of a commercial motor vehicle in Arizona unless the operator can prove lawful presence in the United States and would allow impoundment if proof is not provided. The sponsor introduced the bill with a lengthy explanation of commercial driver licensing history and concerns about non-domiciled and limited-term CDLs, contrasting them with Canadian and Mexican commercial licensing arrangements. The transcript cuts off before testimony, questions, or any action on SB 1511.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:06.959><c> there</c> physician has the the liability there physician has the the liability
• Sometimes the insurance doesn't cover it. Sometimes they don't have insurance.
• The insurer is not billed.
• </c> environment for health insurance. environment for health insurance.
• </c> Department of Insurance wasn't sure? Department of Insurance wasn't sure?

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• . insurance. insurance.
• </c> relating to insurance fraud. relating to insurance fraud.
• </c> relating to insurance. relating to insurance.
• </c> climate-friendly insurers. climate-friendly insurers.
• for the Insurance for an insurer for the Insurance Commissioner.

Summary: The committee first heard several measures and took testimony without questions on SB 2431 relating to health savings accounts and SB 2797 relating to consumer protection. For SB 2797, the DCCA Office of Consumer Protection offered comments, Retail Merchants of Hawaii opposed the bill over gift card fraud compliance costs and legal risk, and AARP Hawaii supported it. The committee also heard SB 2946 on foreclosures, where the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Collection Law Section and several lenders, associations, and individuals opposed the measure, while the Hawaii Bankers Association and others offered comments. SB 2961 on insurance drew comments from the Insurance Division and Hawaii Insurance Council, with NAMIC opposing and some individuals supporting. SB 2948 on insurance fraud received comments from the Insurance Division and support from the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, with NAMIC and the Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding also commenting. No votes were taken during the hearing portion, and the committee recessed after testimony. The committee then reconvened for decision-making on the 9:30 agenda. SB 2431 was passed with amendments, including DOTAX-requested changes, a five-year limit on credit carryforwards, removal of an aggregate cap, a rural definition, transparent reporting, technical amendments, and a deferred effective date of July 1, 2050. SB 2797 was also passed with DCCA-requested amendments, technical changes, and the same deferred effective date. SB 2946 was deferred because there was no testimony in support. SB 2961 was passed with amendments, but after Senator McKelvey raised concern that policy-limit language could undermine the bill, the committee removed two policy-limit amendments before adopting the recommendation. SB 2948 was passed with amendments deleting certain definitions, aligning penalties and public-records provisions, adding coordination and disclosure clarifications, and making technical changes; one no vote by Senator Awana was recorded, with the rest in favor. The committee also considered SB 3000 from a prior hearing and recommended passage with amendments clarifying the Attorney General’s authority, creating a special fund, and addressing concurrent actions, again with a deferred effective date and one no vote by Senator Awana. In a joint CPN/GVO agenda, SB 2258 relating to school agriculture procurement targets was passed with amendments after the Department of Education said it would need to follow up on whether changing the target period from calendar year to school year would create procurement or scheduling issues; the committee added technical changes, a deferred effective date, and routed the bill to Ways and Means, with a note that Education should also have received it. In a later joint CPN/AEN hearing, SB 2452 relating to climate-friendly insurers drew strong opposition from the Insurance Division and several insurance groups, who warned it could push insurers out of the authorized market and into the surplus lines market, raising costs; Senator Dela questioned whether the bill would worsen an already strained market, while the division said the legislature could make the policy choice but warned of market disruption. The hearing then moved to SB 2760 on invasive species, where DLNR, DAB, CGAPS, and the Oahu Invasive Species Committee generally supported broader inspection and quarantine authority, civil penalties, and longer interim-rule authority, while committee members asked about staffing, treatment capacity, and implementation for non-agricultural commodities such as building materials and vehicles.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2279 exempts a commercial river outfitter from liability for an injury to or the death of
• Additionally, it declares the limited liability exemption does not apply to a commercial river outfitter
• My understanding was that the liability—it took away all liability, but they had waivers that you could
• sign off, but it had to do with liability.
• This basically allows some different kinds of associations to have a health insurance kind of plan that

Summary: The meeting covered a large number of bills and resolutions across education, federalism, government, health, commerce, and judiciary-related topics. In education, members heard bills on moving the statewide testing window later, allowing paper-based testing in more cases, posting school administrator compensation data, expanding who may receive student directory information, reviewing duplicative ADE reporting requirements, requiring religious excusals, creating a school fitness recognition program, and a proposed ballot measure on sex-designated school sports and private spaces. In federalism, the committee discussed banning foreign nationals from funding ballot-measure committees and a proposal to eliminate voting centers and return to precinct-based voting. Other items included memorials urging the U.S. to withdraw from the United Nations and the IMF, and a government bill penalizing agencies that fail to submit financial reports on time. Health and human services bills focused on lactation care, a state certification program for lactation providers, prohibiting gender transition procedures for minors, requiring chief medical officers at state agencies to hold active licenses, clarifying air ambulance statutes, seeking a SNAP waiver to restrict non-eligible food purchases, and collecting hospital patient immigration-status data for reporting. Sponsors generally framed these as consumer protection, public health, or administrative cleanup measures, while some members raised concerns about cost, privacy, and possible legal conflicts. In commerce, the committee heard bills on digital goods disclosure, protections for child content creators, liability limits for river outfitters, landlord utility billing transparency, appraisal management company definitions, unemployment eligibility verification, and association-based health plans. Several measures were pulled from consent or flagged for amendments. The judiciary portion included bills creating a civil cause of action for violations of anti-DEI laws, expanding hate-crime-style penalties to include political affiliation and expression, adding reporting requirements for name changes by sex offenders, penalizing possession of falsified commercial driver’s licenses by unlawfully present individuals, adding penalties for mailing abortion-inducing drugs, allowing speed-limiting devices as an alternative to license suspension, extending inmate transition services, increasing penalties for sexual extortion involving older teens, requiring legislative approval to close state shooting ranges, and advancing an Article V convention resolution for congressional term limits. Several sponsors emphasized public safety, parental rights, election integrity, or government accountability, while some members raised constitutional or implementation concerns, particularly on liability, voting systems, and the term-limits resolution. Multiple bills were reported as being on consent calendars, with some pulled for amendments or further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• The accrued liability that they have is $51 million. Again, their total funded.
• So there is no unfunded liability for the volunteer firefighter plan.
• This comes from a 3% tax on your insurance. Okay. And then what does that pay for?
• Madam Chair, Representative, the fire fund is funded by the three percent tax that we pay on insurance
• under homes, vehicles, anything that we have insured.

Committee: House Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Eligible insurers with coverage losses and 23 hurricane seasons.
• This is the state codifying the administrative health insurance assessment.
• Am I supposed to get an additional life insurance policy?
• Largely, the malpractice insurance.
• The bill changes nothing about insurance claims.

Bills: HJR 99 , HB 1399 , HB 1400 , HB 1094 , HB 365 , HB 1109 , HB 647 , HCR 35 , SB 14 , HB 12 , HB 1522 , HB 422 , HB 675 , HB 204 , HB 748 , HB 912 , HJR 99 , HB 1399 , HB 1400 , HB 1094 , HB 365 , HB 1109 , HB 647 , HCR 35 , HCR 123 , HCR 124 , HR 57 , HR 87 , HR 111 , HR 228 , HR 230 , HR 322 , HR 624 , HR 625 , HR 626 , HR 627 , HR 628 , HR 630 , HR 631 , HR 634 , HR 635 , HR 636 , HR 637 , HR 638 , HR 639 , HR 640 , HR 645 , HR 646 , HR 648 , HR 649 , HR 651 , HR 652 , HR 653 , HR 654 , HR 664 , HR 665 , HR 668 , HR 675 , HR 676 , HR 678 , HR 679 , HR 680 , HR 683 , HR 686 , HR 688 , HR 689 , HR 694 , HR 695 , HR 697 , HR 698 , HR 699 , HR 472 , HR 622 , HR 632 , HR 633 , HR 643 , HR 655 , HR 657 , HR 660 , HR 661 , HR 662 , HR 663 , HR 667 , HR 670 , HR 674 , HR 681 , HR 682 , HR 696

Transcript Highlights:

• Insurance companies responsible when serious harm occurs.
• Where are the insurance companies? I'll tell you what, my car insurance keeps going up.
• My homeowner's insurance keeps going up. No claims.
• What type of insurance will optometrists have to get?
• Additional insurance or malpractice insurance? I'm trying to ask about that. Thank you.

Bills: HB99 , HJR5 , HM39 , HB206 , HB213 , SB41 , SB153 , SB165 , SB261 , SB264

Committee: House House Judiciary

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 99, a medical malpractice reform measure. Sponsor Chair Chandler and Minority Leader Armstrong described months of stakeholder negotiations aimed at balancing patient compensation with concerns from physicians, hospitals, and insurers about litigation costs, punitive damages, and access to care. The committee substitute kept the existing monetary damage caps but changed several provisions, including definitions of “occurrence” and “value of medical care,” treatment of future medical expenses, a higher clear-and-convincing standard for punitive damages, a two-step process before punitive damages can be pled, and a lower punitive-damages cap for smaller providers versus a higher cap for large hospital systems. Supporters said the bill would help recruit and retain doctors and stabilize the malpractice market; opponents argued it weakens accountability, especially for corporate and out-of-state hospital systems, and several speakers urged a stronger amendment to preserve patient rights. After debate, the committee voted 10-0 to give the House Judiciary Committee substitute for HB 99 a do-pass recommendation. The committee then heard House Joint Resolution 5, which would amend the state constitution to allow legislative compensation. Sponsors and supporters said paying legislators would make service more accessible to working people, parents, rural residents, and others without independent wealth, and would broaden representation. Several advocacy groups and individual commenters backed the proposal, while members raised questions about the pay formula, with the resolution tying compensation to the state median income. Some members supported the idea but preferred a salary commission or a different mechanism. The committee approved HJR 5 on a 7-3 vote. Finally, the committee began hearing House Memorial 39, which calls for a task force to study the current state of sexual assault examination kits and report on backlog progress. Sponsor Rep. Ferrari and the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs explained that a prior task force a decade ago found more than 5,000 untested kits and led to policy changes, including the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights and a statewide tracking system. The memorial is intended to reassess whether backlogs remain and recommend further fixes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Insurance.
• Instead, what we're trying to look at here is just putting in liability insurance, making sure that there's
• Instead, what we're trying to look at here is just putting in liability insurance, making sure that there's
• My first question to the senator: would you believe that insurers, insurance carriers currently, must
• All as an independent insurance agent. I don't work for an insurance carrier.

Bills: SB1969 , SB1953 , SB1277 , SB1287 , SB1061 , SB1916 , SB1589 , SB2178 , SB1444 , SB1438 , SB1501 , SB1873 , SB1364

Committee: Senate Business and Insurance

Summary: The Senate Business and Insurance Committee met and first laid over Senate Bills 1969 and 1624 without hearing them. It then considered SB 1953, a health insurance transparency bill requiring third-party administrators to provide employers information on what was spent on employee health benefits; an amendment deleting the word “welfare” was adopted, and the bill passed 7-1. SB 1277, which codifies a three-week work-search requirement for unemployment benefits, passed 8-0. SB 1287, amended to change “may” to “shall,” would bar the Oklahoma Abstractors Board from licensing applicants not legally authorized to work in the U.S.; after questions about the need for the bill and the alleged loophole, it passed 7-2. The committee also passed SB 1061, a cleanup measure on mortgage broker licensing and renewal fees, and SB 1916, which would move the Oklahoma Receivership Office under the Insurance Department and streamline receivership operations. SB 1589, as amended to reference Indian Gaming Regulatory Act authorization, would increase penalties for illegal sweepstakes/gambling operations and expand enforcement against entities profiting from illegal gambling; it passed unanimously. SB 2178, a compromise special-event license bill requiring liability insurance coverage, also passed unanimously. Two major insurance reform bills were debated at length and failed. SB 1444 would shift homeowners insurance rate regulation from a use-and-file system to prior filing with authority for the Insurance Commissioner to declare rates excessive; after testimony from a homeowner about a large premium increase and extensive debate over regulation and market effects, it failed 4-5. SB 1438 would require reporting of underwriting gains and profits, cap average profits at 5% over three years, and require rebates or premium credits if profits exceeded that level; supporters argued it would protect consumers, while opponents warned of market disruption and reduced competition. It failed 2-7. The committee then passed SB 1501, clarifying medical marijuana grow reclamation bond requirements, SB 1873, correcting a drafting error in a prior bill and delaying its effective date, and SB 1364, requiring an affidavit of encumbrances before transferring a medical marijuana business license.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of them have insurance. That insurance covers this defense cost.
• To answer one of the questions that came up, I'm not aware of any insurance, by any insurance carrier
• that will insure you against intentional acts.
• Ellis conceded that most of them are covered by general liability insurance and I will stay that there
• Most general liability insurance policies will not cover intentional acts.

Bills: HB1520 , HB1525 , HB1530 , HB1535 , HB2068 , HB2091 , HB2347 , HB2372 , HB2805 , HB2815 , HB2867 , HB3154 , HB3482 , HB3483 , HB3663 , HB3781 , HB3901 , HB3915 , HB4135 , HB4153 , HB4158 , HB4329 , HB4331

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• North Dakota Insurance Reserve. September. Mr.
• “During the insurance crisis of the 1980s, many public entities could not afford or even obtain insurance
• insurance paying?
• the insurer and the people that are at...
• If somebody runs a stop sign, hits a bus, and they're insured, where is their insurance in this process

Committee: Joint Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee

Summary: The committee convened, approved the prior meeting minutes, and received a memo summarizing major audit items. The State Auditor’s office and outside auditors then presented a series of audits, many of which were clean with unmodified opinions and no findings, including the Bank of North Dakota, the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Quality, Lake Region State College, and the Office of the Governor. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association audit was also clean overall, but it repeated findings about limited segregation of duties and auditor assistance in preparing financial statements, which the auditor said were expected to continue because of the organization’s small size. Committee members asked about out-of-state board addresses, and the association explained those members were North Dakota residents using South Dakota mailing addresses. Several audits did include findings. The Council on the Arts audit identified two issues: payroll charged to federal awards without supporting time records, and $12,825 in Cultural Endowment Fund spending that was not allowable under state law, including staff training, retreats, and executive director candidate travel. The Department of Public Instruction audit found unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, but additional testing confirmed the funds were credited properly and students completed required school district work, so no improper payments were identified. The University of North Dakota audit found a lack of documentation and transparency in School of Law admissions decisions; the auditor said the law school used a holistic process but did not keep notes or evaluation tools to show why applicants were admitted, waitlisted, or denied. UND leadership said the school is in good standing with the American Bar Association and agreed better documentation is needed, and the auditor said the issue was the missing documentation, not ABA accreditation itself. The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which found four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating cap, grant conditions not being met, improper breeder fund awards, and improper procurement. The auditor said promotion fund spending exceeded the cap by $327,447 and the fund balance dropped sharply over the audit period. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson said the agency had become complacent, that grant requests were treated as routine, and that controls and documentation need to be tightened. He also explained that the breeder fund overpayments involved two horses whose ownership transfers were not properly documented before racing, and that the procurement issue stemmed from an advertising contract that proceeded without proper written procurement procedures after a misunderstanding with the State Procurement Office. The auditor said the Racing Commission will now be audited every two years because of the findings. The committee also received updates on Dakota College at Bottineau’s bank reconciliations, which Minot State University said had been brought current after an 18-month backlog, with only one account still needing cleanup; members asked for a written report on the corrective actions. The North Dakota Fair Foundation was reported to have dissolved, with remaining funds transferred to another nonprofit account for continued support of the state fair. Finally, the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, revising the earlier estimate to about $1.1 million based on incomplete district survey responses, and said the Anti-Lunch Shaming law likely increased meal debt because schools must feed students regardless of account balance. Members discussed the need for a more accurate year-end debt figure and possible future reporting at a later committee meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:28:49.679><c> to</c> the doe increases legal liabilities to the doe increases legal liabilities
• </c><01:50:31.480><c> it's</c> covered under any kind of insurance it's covered under any kind of insurance
• Now, this only covers insured children, so insured children are covered for vaccines under the Affordable
• Now, this only covers insured children, so insured children are covered for vaccines under the Affordable
• </c> didn't feel that the car insurance didn't feel that the car insurance covered<05:14:24.320><c> enough

Transcript Highlights:

• This is liability.
• So the strict liability would go to shareholders and dividends.
• The strict liability would go to shareholders and dividends.
• So liability is not on current prices.
• It's a past liability. It's not a forward-moving cost.