North Dakota Home School Association

Legislative Watch Issue # 11 April 6, 2007

presented by the North Dakota Home School Association to home educating families for educational and instructional purposes. Nothing contained herein is to be construed as partisan in nature. Given accurate information recipients can make up their own minds about steps they can take to affect legislation in North Dakota in a respectful manner which promotes personal liberty, responsibility and freedom. All comment is the opinion of Gail Biby unless otherwise noted. Nothing contained herein is to be construed as legal advice and is included for educational purposes only.Arranged in numerical order with House bills listed first. It is our goal to send the Legislative Watch every Friday during the Session. If you have input on any of these, or others of interest, please contact me at: billbiby@msn.com Some of the following are included for your information, some for action, and some for the sheer joy of it.Quick links added to NDHSA website. Go to www.ndhsa.org and click on any of the quick links to read the bills, find out when they will be heard in committee, to contact your legislator and much more.

WATCH those in red!

To listen to audio or watch video of live floor proceedings, click on this website address and take your choice: www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/dailysess/
HOUSE BILLS 2007 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

HB 1136 - Will increase the number of immunizations required for entrance into public, private, parochial or home school, day care centers, child care facilities, head start programs and nursery schools. Added to the already lengthy list of mandated immunizations are: pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, rotavirus, hepatitis A.

·          Passed both houses. Awaiting Governor Hoeven’s signature.

Health care decisions ought to be left to parents and their physicians. North Dakotans still have the right to opt out of any or all mandated immunizations based on philosophical, religious or moral beliefs. The rotavirus vaccine is really problematic (Check out WebMD Medical News, Feb. 13, 2007, on serious bowel problems resulting from the rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq). HB 1136, however, started out more offensively than it ended up. Originally it would have allowed the Department of Health to mandate (don’t forget that’s another word for force!) any additional vaccines they thought necessary simply by making a departmental rule. This, of course would have been without legislative oversight. Also, the final amendment included the phrase ‘age appropriate’ to describe immunizations. For more information on vaccines go to: www.nvic.org I would also suggest obtaining a copy of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. This is a measured and sane approach to educate parents on making wise decisions about when and how to safely immunize their children.HB 1169 - Allows the Supt. of Public Instruction to be elected without a current ND professional teaching license.

·          Signed by Governor Hoeven 4/04.

This is a good thing and will widen the field to hopefully include good managers and diligent administrators. There is talk about initiating a measure that would allow the voters to decide if this law should stand. It apparently comes from the DPI, particularly Dr. Sanstead. Why not just let the voters decide when and if someone runs for the position who is not a ‘highly trained, licensed professional’!!?? Seems to me we would be able to make that call at the voter’s booth. HB 1319 - Provides for sensible laws regarding the use of deadly force.

·          Awaiting House concurrence on Senate amendments.

Sneeringly called by some in the media the “Shoot the Burglar Bill." Allows an individual threatened by a ne’er-do-well to use force to protect his home, car, motor home and family without having to think of every possible alternative. Amendments have been added to pacify law enforcement officials. I see a similar bill was passed in Texas.HB 1434 - Related to the viral hepatitis education and vaccination program.

·          Second reading passed Senate Y 47, N 0 4/03.

This appears to be geared toward high risk groups and mandates that the Department of Health conduct a surveillance regarding the impact of Hepatitis C. I wonder if, after the surveillance, a vaccine will be mandated for this group?HB 1435 - Relates to childhood immunizations.

·          Second reading passed the Senate, Y 47, N 0 4/03. Returned to the House.

The Second Engrossment with Senate amendments deals only with appropriations and the meningococcal vaccine mandate has been removed (see HB 1136). Further Senate amendments changed appropriations from $2.5 million to provide the program to public health units to $1.85 million.HB 1466 - Relates to the prohibition of the performance of abortions, except to save the life of the mother.

·          Amended in the Senate on the floor X 2. Second reading passed as amended, Y 41, N 6 4/05.

The original 5-page bill is now less than 1 page and has no teeth whatsoever. Instead the bill now calls for a special session to discuss the issue IF the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade.

To find House members go to:http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/house/members/To find out who sits on what committee in the House go to:http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/house/standing-comm/

SENATE BILLS 2007 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

SB 2248 - Deals with computer luring of minors.

·        Passed by both houses. Awaiting Governor Hoeven’s signature. 4/05

I can’t see how anyone could oppose this bill on any grounds. SB 2309 - Deals with high school graduation requirements increasing them to 24 by school year 2011-2012.

Awaiting conference committee hearings. Conf. Committee: G. Lee, Flakoll, Taylor, L. Meier, Wall, Hunskor.

The bill has basically been stripped of its original mandates and now simply increases graduation credits. Apparently the Senate didn’t like what had been done in the House Education Committee. The Conference Committee will now attempt to work out the disagreements.

To find the Senate members go to:

http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/senate/members/To find out who sits on what committee in the Senate go to:http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/senate/standing-comm/To read any bills currently in the hopper go to:http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/60-2007/leginfo/index.htmlTo find your Legislative District and members go to:

http://web.apps.state.nd.us/hubexplorer/legislativedist/viewer.html