ND SB2339

Courts are prohibited from applying strict liability standards to qualified utilities (electric public utilities, rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, and transmission providers) in lawsuits alleging wildfire-related damages

Qualified utilities may voluntarily prepare wildfire mitigation plans that must address high-risk areas, vegetation management procedures, infrastructure modifications, recloser protocols, restoration procedures, and community outreach efforts

Plans must comply with ANSI standard A300, part 7, and the 2023 National Electrical Safety Code, and must be updated every two years

Preparing, publishing, and complying with a wildfire mitigation plan creates a rebuttable presumption that the utility exercised reasonable standard of care in potential litigation

Plans must be published on the utility's website within 30 days of filing, with optional annual compliance reports due by December 31st each year