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HB 1570

relative to governmental budget authority for agreements for law enforcement agencies to participate in federal immigration enforcement.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Paul Berch and 3 co-sponsors

HB 1570 creates a dedicated tobacco tax fund to fund depression and anxiety behavioral health services via regional centers, funded by new taxes on e-cigarettes and alternative tob

Inexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 198-161 02/12/2026 HJ 4 P. 17
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Bill Summary · HB 1570

Summary — North Dakota HB 1570 (Introduced 2025)

Note: the submitted document contains text from multiple states’ bills with the same number. This summary focuses on the North Dakota bill described in the title and the North Dakota Century Code excerpts included in the file.

Purpose and intent

HB 1570 would (1) create a dedicated behavioral health fund funded by tobacco-related tax receipts and (2) expand North Dakota’s excise-tax regime to explicitly cover electronic smoking devices and “alternative tobacco products,” while updating definitions, collection and reporting requirements, and penalties. The overall policy intent is to raise and dedicate tobacco-related tax revenue to support depression and anxiety behavioral health services provided by regional human service centers.

Key provisions

  • Tobacco Tax Distribution Behavioral Health Fund

    • Creates the “tobacco tax distribution behavioral health fund” as a special state treasury fund.
    • Moneys deposited into the fund are those tobacco tax collections required by the bill.
    • Within legislative appropriations, the Department of Human Services (DHS) shall use the fund to provide depression and anxiety behavioral health services through regional human service centers.
    • Distributions to human service centers are to be based on the number of individuals served.
    • Funds may be used to contract with community providers, with priority given to individuals in financial need.
    • DHS may adopt rules to administer the fund.

  • Definitions and scope (amend 57‑36‑01)

    • Adds or clarifies statutory definitions for:
    • “Alternative tobacco product” — noncombustible nicotine or synthetic-nicotine products intended for consumption by chewing, dissolving, absorbing, etc. Examples listed include nicotine gels, nicotine pouches, and dissolvable tobacco products; FDA-approved nicotine-replacement therapies are excluded.
    • “Electronic smoking device” — devices that aerosolize/vaporize/heated-substance containing nicotine (natural or synthetic), including e-cigarettes, vape pens, e-cigars, e-pipes, and e-hookahs; includes the nicotine-containing substance when sold with the device. Specified exclusions include regulated cigarettes and FDA-approved drug/device products.
    • Expands “distributor,” “dealer,” “consumer,” and other terms to cover electronic smoking devices and alternative tobacco products.

  • Taxes, rates and collection (amend 57‑36‑25 and related sections)

    • Revises the excise-tax structure for cigars, pipe tobacco, and “other tobacco products.”
    • Imposes tax and reporting/collection obligations on electronic smoking devices and alternative tobacco products, and requires transfer of those tax receipts to the behavioral health fund (sections creating specific transfer and report obligations are included in the bill).
    • Provides for allocation of revenue and reporting requirements to the tax administration.

  • Penalty and enforcement

    • The bill includes a penalty provision for violations of the tax and reporting requirements (text references a penalty but the excerpt does not show the full penalty language).

Who would be affected

  • Distributors, dealers, and retailers of cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, electronic smoking devices, and alternative tobacco products — new tax, reporting, and licensing/compliance duties.
  • Consumers — potential price increases if taxes are passed through.
  • Department of Human Services and regional human service centers — new revenue source and distribution responsibilities; ability to contract with community providers.
  • Tax administration and enforcement agencies — expanded collection, transfer, and reporting workload.

Procedural status and timeline

  • Introduced in the North Dakota House as part of the Sixty‑ninth Legislative Assembly (bill text shows sponsors: Representatives Steiner, McLeod, Nelson, S. Olson, Mitskog; Senators Bekkedahl, Boschee, Larson, Myrdal, Luick).
  • The bill text proposes creation of new statutory sections and amendments to several existing tobacco‑tax sections; it also authorizes DHS rulemaking and establishes fund use subject to legislative appropriation.
  • The metadata in the package indicates the bill reached a second reading and failed passage on second reading (yeas 32, nays 53). (The document also includes records from other states’ HB1570s; confirm the legislative journal for final official status.)

Potential fiscal and policy impacts

  • Would generate new or reallocated tobacco-related revenues earmarked for depression and anxiety behavioral health services; the scale of revenue is tied to the tax rates and taxable base for electronic/alternative products (rates are established or adjusted in the bill text).
  • Likely increased administrative work for tax collection and program distribution; potential costs for DHS rulemaking and fund administration.
  • Could raise consumer prices for electronic smoking devices and alternative tobacco products, affecting consumption patterns.

For specific tax rates, penalty amounts, and the precise transfer/reporting mechanics, consult the full enrolled bill language and fiscal note (if available) because some numeric tax-rate text in the excerpt is truncated or garbled in the provided document.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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