HB 1458 — A BILL for an Act to provide for a legislative management study regarding limiting the release of self-spreading viruses and bacteria.

25.0977.0300025.0977.02000 Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota SECONDFIRST ENGROSSMENT REENGROSSEDENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO.

1458 Introduced by Representatives Henderson, Schatz, Wolff, Maki, Morton, Rios, Frelich, VanWinkle Senator Magrum A BILL for an Act to providecreate forand enact a legislativenew managementsection studyto regardingchapter limiting23-12 of the releaseNorth ofDakota self-spreadingCentury virusesCode, andrelating bacteria.to releasing a self-spreading virus;

and to provide a penalty.

LEGISLATIVEA MANAGEMENTnew STUDYsection -to LIMITINGchapter THE23-12 RELEASEof OFthe SELF-SPREADINGNorth VIRUSESDakota ANDCentury BACTERIA.Code is created and enacted as follows:

Releasing a self-spreading virus - Written consent required.

DuringAs theused 2025-26in interim,this thesection: legislative management shall consider studying limiting the development and release of self-spreading viruses and bacteria.

The study must include:

A"Release" reviewmeans ofany intentional act that results in the personsactual andor entitiespotential developinginfection or releasingtransmission of, or exposure to, a self-spreading virusesvirus or bacteria;bacteria.

The"Self-spreading impactvirus ofor thebacteria" developmentmeans andany releaseengineered virus or bacteria, including any recombinant, attenuated or modified version of self-spreadingany virusesvirus andor bacteria, includingor allparticles availableor datasubstance onsimilar adverseto reactionsany andvirus long-termor effects;bacteria, engineered for the purpose of spreading from individual to individual.

c.

Appropriate limitations and enforcement measures, including potential sanctions and penalties;

and d.

Possible exceptions to the limitations.

TheA legislativeperson managementmay shallnot reportdevelop, itsrelease, findingsor andtake recommendations,part togetherin withcausing the release of any legislationself- necessaryspreading tovirus implementor bacteria without the recommendations,express written consent of each individual who may potentially be exposed to the seventiethself-spreading legislativevirus assembly.or bacteria.

3.

Any person may bring an action to enjoin any violation of this section and to recover actual monetary loss or five thousand dollars for each violation of this section, whichever is greater.

4.

This section does not apply to an individual who is unknowingly infected and, as a result of that infection, has spread any self-spreading virus or bacteria.

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