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HB 1410

School district elections; election dates and declaration of candidacy; party affiliation; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Toni Hasenbeck

HB 1410 requires a 2025–26 interim study on North Dakota laws protecting children, including terminology, AI in related crimes, and recommendations for potential changes.

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Bill Summary · HB 1410

Summary — HB 1410

Title: An act to provide for a legislative management study regarding a review of state laws relating to criminal conduct against children
Status: Filed with Secretary of State (filed 04/16/2025). Introduced Nov 19, 2024. Enrolled and passed by the Legislature; study to occur during the 2025–26 interim.

Main purpose and intent

HB 1410 directs the Legislative Management (the Legislature’s interim staff/oversight body) to conduct a focused study during the 2025–26 interim on North Dakota state laws that address criminal conduct against children. The study’s intent is to review current statutory language, identify gaps or outdated terms, consider emerging technologies (notably artificial intelligence) in child-exploitation crimes, and produce findings and legislative recommendations to strengthen protections for child victims and to improve investigation/prosecution tools.

Key provisions

  • Requires Legislative Management to consider and conduct a study during the 2025–26 interim on state laws concerning:
    • Criminal conduct against children generally, including child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, child neglect, and human trafficking of children.
    • Whether to replace the term “sexual performance” (used in chapter 12.1‑27.2) with language such as “child sexually abusive material” or other terminology deemed appropriate when describing child pornography or sexual conduct of a minor.
    • State laws addressing the use of artificial intelligence in crimes related to sexual performance of a minor or possession/distribution of prohibited materials.
    • Other laws intended to protect children and to facilitate investigation and prosecution of crimes involving child victims (sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, trafficking).
  • Requires Legislative Management to report findings and recommendations — including any draft legislation necessary to implement recommendations — to the Seventieth Legislative Assembly.

Who is affected

  • Primary: the Legislative Management body and staff who will conduct the study and prepare the report.
  • Secondary: state agencies (law enforcement, prosecutors, child protection services), the judiciary, victims’ advocates, and service providers who may be consulted or affected by resulting statutory changes.
  • Tertiary: the public and technology stakeholders (including entities developing or using AI) if the study leads to new AI-related criminal or evidentiary rules.

Procedural / timeline details

  • Study period: 2025–26 interim (between legislative sessions).
  • Report due: findings, recommendations, and any implementing legislation to be submitted to the 70th Legislative Assembly.
  • The bill is a study mandate only — it does not change criminal statutes by itself. Any statutory changes would require follow-up legislation in a subsequent session.

Potential impacts

  • Could prompt updates to statutory terminology and definitions (clarifying “child sexually abusive material” vs. older terms), leading to clearer elements and offenses.
  • May produce AI-specific recommendations (criminalization, evidentiary rules, possession/distribution controls, or investigative guidance).
  • Could identify needs for training, resources, or procedural changes for law enforcement and prosecutors.
  • Any recommended legislative changes may have budgetary or operational implications depending on scope.

Note: Multiple unrelated bills in other states also use the identifier “HB 1410.” This summary pertains to the act establishing the Legislative Management study on crimes against children (North Dakota).

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

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