Last week, on January 27th, HB 1175 was introduced in committee by Rep. Michael Howe. GNDC formed a coalition of 30 members in support of this legislation. During the hearing, GNDC CEO and President, Arik Spencer testified in support of this bill and the offerings that are specifically outlined:
- Targeted safe harbor
- Immunity deference for owners of premises
- Manufacturer protection
- A special section for medical providers
This bill does not provide a "get out of jail" free card for bad actors who are/were deliberately making poor decisions or have/had ill intentions; instead, the bill provides businesses who were meeting, or even exceeding, constantly shifting ordinances/E.O.s to operate in order to serve their customers, employ their workforce, and contribute to our economy.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Other testimony in support was provided:
The
recording is available here. This is a small sample of those that submitted testimony online, which can be
viewed in totality here and include but not limited to ND Medical Association, ND University System, and Basin Electric Power Cooperative, one of GNDC's Cornerstone Members.
On February 2, the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee gave this bill a do-pass.
