January 2019

A bill in the North Dakota Senate would require patients to do a video or in-person examination for their initial visit with a telemedicine provider. In 2017, the North Dakota Board of Medicine drafted a rule that would require a video exam or face-to-face visit for the patient's first telemedicine appointment. But the rule was shot down by the state legislature's Administrative Rules Committee in March. Committee members stated that the rule was "arbitrary and capricious," according to meeting minutes.

Before the Senate voted to bring the Federal Communications Commission back to full strength, the White House informally discussed a potential slot on the commission with Senate Commerce Committee aide Crystal Tully. The conversations came amid a flurry of speculation about FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s future at the agency, though he said in November he expects to stay on for the next two years. The talks were preliminary, given that it’s unclear when a Republican seat will open up. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly’s term expires in June, but he can stay on as late as the end of 2020.