All Roll Calls
Yes: 220 • No: 10
North DakotaHB 15512025 Regular SessionHouse
AN ACT to create and enact a new chapter to title 4.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to regulation of biostimulants and beneficial substances; and to provide a penalty.
Sponsored By: Craig Headland (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 3 mixed.
Simpler rules for soil amendment sellers
Clearly labeled hay, straw, peat, leaf mold, sand, perlite, vermiculite, gypsum, and vermicompost are exempt from the chapter’s soil-amendment requirements. Clearly labeled compost, garden soil, landscaping soil or topsoil, mulch or wood products, planting mix, potting mix, and soilless growing media can use an ingredient list instead of a full composition statement. That simpler label option does not apply when a product makes specific beneficial-substance claims. The agriculture commissioner can exempt additional soil amendments and other products.
Annual inspection fees for product distributors
For each covered beneficial substance, distributors pay the greater of $10 or $0.20 per ton distributed in North Dakota. Manufacturer-distributor product exchanges and products sold exclusively in packages of 10 pounds (4.54 kilograms) or less are exempt. The last licensed handler of a lot must report prior-year net tons and pay by January 31. Distributors must keep purchase and sales records for three years; reporting or payment failures can bring a penalty of $10 or 10% of the amount due, whichever is greater. License, registration, and inspection fees go to the Environment and Rangeland Protection Fund.
New fees for plant product sellers
Before distribution, covered sellers need a $100 license for each North Dakota location or mobile mechanical unit; licenses are nontransferable and must be posted. Each covered brand also needs registration before sale or distribution, with a current label and a $50 fee per product. Licenses and registrations last two years, running from July 1 through June 30 of even-numbered years. Renewals received after July 31 bring an extra $100 per location for licenses or per product for registrations. Distributors need no separate product registration when another person has registered it and their label complies with that registration.
Clearer labels for plant product buyers
North Dakota requires readable labels on covered beneficial substances—products that help plants, soil, or growing media, excluding nutrients and pesticides. Labels must show the product name, customary and metric net weight or volume, responsible parties’ names and addresses, purpose, and directions. A statement headed “CONTAINS BENEFICIAL SUBSTANCES” must list each substance and percentage, plus sources, microorganism species, and viability measures where applicable. Microbial products need expiration dates and storage instructions; ingredients not defined by the American Association of Plant Food Control Officials need supporting efficacy data. Bulk sellers must give buyers this information at delivery.
Inspections and penalties for product sellers
The agriculture commissioner can inspect products, labels, and records during operating hours with notice, and sample and test products. The commissioner can reject incomplete applications, cancel registrations, and stop sales or use for violations; release requires written authorization. Violations can bring civil penalties up to $2,500 each; knowing violations are Class A misdemeanors, and certification can be denied, suspended, revoked, or changed after a hearing. Registrants can request hearings for specified registration cancellations or nonrenewals and must receive enforcement-related analyses at least 10 days before buyers do. Deficient official samples must be kept for 30 days after the report, with portions available to registrants in enforcement actions.
Safer plant products, stricter seller duties
Sellers cannot distribute covered products that are unregistered, unless exempt, or products that are mislabeled or adulterated. The law bars false labels, use of another product’s name, harmful contents, inadequate warnings, composition that differs from label claims, and unwanted crop or noxious weed seeds. Products whose only function is as pesticides cannot be marketed as beneficial substances. Sellers must provide requested analyses, disclose sources of potentially harmful components, obey stop-sale orders, and not obstruct the commissioner.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Craig Headland
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Mike Beltz
Republican • House
Mike Brandenburg
Republican • House
Dawson Holle
Republican • House
Claire Cory
Republican • Senate
Robert Erbele
Republican • Senate
Terry M. Wanzek
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/18/2025
Second reading, passed, yeas 89 nays 4
Yes: 89 • No: 4
Senate vote • 3/13/2025
Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 44 nays 2
Yes: 44 • No: 2
House vote • 2/19/2025
Second reading, passed, yeas 87 nays 4
Yes: 87 • No: 4
Actions Timeline
Filed with Secretary Of State 03/26
3/27/2025HouseSigned by Governor 03/25
3/26/2025HouseSent to Governor
3/24/2025HouseSigned by Speaker
3/24/2025HouseSigned by President
3/21/2025SenateSecond reading, passed, yeas 89 nays 4
3/18/2025HouseConcurred
3/18/2025HouseReturned to House (12)
3/14/2025HouseSecond reading, passed as amended, yeas 44 nays 2
3/13/2025SenateAmendment adopted, placed on calendar
3/12/2025SenateReported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 6 0 0
3/11/2025SenateCommittee Hearing 10:00
3/7/2025SenateIntroduced, first reading, referred Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee
2/20/2025SenateReceived from House
2/20/2025SenateSecond reading, passed, yeas 87 nays 4
2/19/2025HouseAmendment adopted, placed on calendar
2/18/2025HouseReported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 10 1 3
2/17/2025HouseCommittee Hearing 09:45
1/30/2025HouseIntroduced, first reading, referred Agriculture Committee
1/20/2025House
Bill Text
Adopted by the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee
Enrollment
FIRST ENGROSSMENT
FIRST ENGROSSMENT with Senate Amendments
INTRODUCED
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Representative Beltz
Related Bills
HB 1229, AN ACT to create and enact a new subdivision to subsection 2 of section 39-06.1-06 and section 39-10-71.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to statutory fees for traffic offenses and a motor vehicle owner's responsibility regarding a driver who flees a peace officer; and to provide a penalty.
SB 2390, AN ACT to create and enact three new sections to chapter 54-40.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a rural catalyst committee, grant program, and fund; to amend and reenact section 54-40.1-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to definitions for regional planning councils; to provide an appropriation; and to provide for a transfer.
HB 1298, AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 39-06.1-06, 39-09-02, 39-09-04, and 39-09-07.1, and subsection 2 of section 40-05-06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the amount of statutory fees, speed limitations on multilane highways, variable speed limits, alteration of maximum speed limits on state highways, speed zone reduction limitations, and city fines and penalties; to provide for a legislative management report; and to provide a penalty.
SB 2113, AN ACT to create and enact two new sections to chapter 50-06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to certified community behavioral health clinics and the financing of health and human services; to amend and reenact section 12.1-04-06, subsection 4 of section 20.1-03-04, sections 25-03.1-03.1 and 25-03.1-04, subsection 3 of section 25-03.1-08, section 25-03.1-10, subsection 3 of section 25-03.1-11, subsection 1 of section 25-03.1-19, subsection 2 of section 25-03.1-26, subdivision b of subsection 2 of section 26.1-36-08, subdivisions c and d of subsection 2 of section 26.1-36-09, subsection 9 of section 43-12.1-04, subsection 6 of section 43-41-02, subdivision b of subsection 1 of section 44-04-18.30, sections 50-06-01, 50-06-01.4, 50-06-01.7, 50-06-05.1, 50-06-05.2, 50-06-05.3, 50-06-05.4, 50-06-05.5, 50-06-06.2, 50-06-06.5, and 50-06-06.13, subsections 1 and 3 of section 50-06-15, sections 50-06-33 and 50-06-41.3, subsection 1 of section 50-06-42, subsection 1 of section 50-06-42.1, and sections 50-06-46, 50-06.2-01, 50-06.2-02, 50-06.2-03, 50-06.3-02, and 50-06.3-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the powers and duties of the department of health and human services, treatment hearing timelines, and membership of the cross-disability advisory council; to provide for a legislative management study; and to provide an expiration date.
SB 2147, AN ACT to create and enact a new subsection to section 15-10-38.4, a new subsection to section 15-62.4-03, a new section to chapter 15-62.4, and a new subsection to section 15-62.5-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to student financial assistance grants, dual-credit tuition scholarships, and the scholars program; to amend and reenact sections 15-10-38.1, 15-10-38.2, 15-63-05, and 15.1-21-02.6 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the skilled workforce student loan repayment and scholarship programs, Native American scholarships, and the North Dakota scholarship; and to provide an appropriation.
SB 2018, AN ACT to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the department of commerce; to provide an appropriation to the attorney general; to provide an appropriation to the department of career and technical education; to provide an appropriation to the state fair association; to provide a contingent appropriation; to create and enact a new section to chapter 54-60 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to department of commerce grant reporting requirements; to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 10-30.5-02, sections 54-60-09, 54-60-19, 54-60-28, 54-60-29, 54-60-29.1, and 54-60-31 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the purpose of the North Dakota development fund, duties and talent strategy of the division of workforce development, the uncrewed aircraft systems program, the uncrewed aircraft systems program fund, the beyond visual line of sight uncrewed aircraft system program, and changing the name of the office of legal immigration to the global talent office; to authorize a Bank of North Dakota line of credit; to provide for a transfer; to provide an application; to provide an exemption; and to provide for a legislative management report.