Some of the ways in which the North Dakota Legislature's work in 2007 will affect your life, from A to Z:

ABORTION: Abortion will be a felony crime in North Dakota if the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to regulate abortion in that manner. Some defenses may be used against an abortion charge, including that the abortion was necessary to save the woman's life, or that it was done because the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest. (HB1466)

AMBULANCES: Emergency medical services operators are exempt from paying North Dakota's 5 percent excise tax when they buy an emergency vehicle, helicopter or airplane. They also may apply for refunds of North Dakota fuel taxes, which are 23 cents a gallon for vehicles and 8 cents a gallon for aviation fuel. (HB1160, HB1138)

BACKGROUND CHECKS: Certain categories of employees, including bank examiners, foster parents, computer programmers and corrections workers, may be subjected to fingerprinting and criminal history background checks. (SB2260)

BINGO TAX: The 5 percent sales tax on bingo cards has been replaced with a 3 percent excise tax. The change is expected to save bingo operators almost $2.1 million every two years. The change is intended to compensate for a smoking ban the Legislature approved two years ago, which cost bingo halls considerable business. (SB2225)

BOOZE INHALER: It is a crime to possess, sell or buy a machine that allows users to inhale booze by turning liquor into mist. (HB1082)

CANCER VACCINE: The state Health Department will use a $50,000 grant to promote awareness of the human papilloma virus, which is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cervical cancer, and the availability of a vaccine against the virus. (HB1471)

CAPITOL SMOKING: Before Oct. 1, the Office of Management and Budget must draft a policy restricting outdoor smoking near the entrances to the Capitol and other buildings on the Capitol grounds. (SB2090)

CAR INSURANCE: For a second conviction for driving without liability insurance, the vehicle's license plates will be impounded until the driver provides proof of insurance and pays a $20 fee. A person who dawdles in turning in their plates faces a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. (HB1037)

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE: Another round of grants for North Dakota university system projects on technology transfer and job creation are available. Lawmakers set aside $15 million for "centers of excellence" grants, and said the commission that administers the grants may request another $5 million from the Bank of North Dakota. (HB1018)

COHABITATION: Since statehood, it has been a sex crime in North Dakota for a man and woman to live together as if they were married. Legislators reclassified the offense as fraud, saying it would apply if a man and woman try to benefit themselves by passing themselves off as a married couple. (SB2138)

COLLEGE SAVINGS: North Dakota taxpayers may deduct $5,000 from their state taxable income each year for contributions to North Dakota CollegeSAVE, a plan that provides tax breaks for residents who are saving for college expenses. Couples may deduct up to $10,000 annually. Some lower-income people may qualify for $250 grants for opening a savings account. (HB1091)

CREDIT FREEZE: North Dakotans may ask the nation's three primary credit reporting agencies to put a security freeze on their credit files, which will block most access to the information. The freeze will make it more difficult for identity thieves to access someone's credit record and use it to buy goods without the person's knowledge. The law takes effect June 1. (HB1417)

DEFIBRILLATORS: The Department of Public Instruction is in charge of buying automated external defibrillators for both public and private schools. (SB2313)

DNA: Beginning in August 2009, anyone who is arrested for a felony in North Dakota will be required to provide a genetic sample for inclusion in a law enforcement database. If the person is not charged or convicted, he or she may petition a judge to remove his or her information. (HB1197)

EDUCATION FINANCE: School superintendents will see a completely revamped state method of providing aid to their schools. The legislation was written by the Legislature and an appointed commission that worked on the task for a year. It includes a state education aid increase of almost $91 million. (SB2200)

FIREFIGHTERS: The family of a firefighter who dies as a result of injuries or illness sustained from fighting a fire will be eligible for a $10,000 death benefit, paid from a tax collected on insurance companies. (SB2183)

FLU: The Department of Health's budget includes $2 million to stockpile anti-viral drugs in case of a severe outbreak of flu. (HB1004)

FUNERAL PROTESTS: Protesters may not come within 300 feet of a funeral, according to a new law that prohibits demonstrations within an hour before or after a funeral. The legislation was prompted by the actions of a religious sect that showed up at funerals of two North Dakota National Guard soldiers to celebrate the soldiers' deaths and shout insults at the families. (HB1040)

GOLF CARTS: Golf cart owners have permission to drive their carts on city streets from their homes to the golf course, as long as they don't travel on a federal, state or county highway. The bill also exempts golf carts from being registered as motor vehicles to travel on the street. (HB1476)

GRANDSTAND: The North Dakota State Fair will get $250,000 in planning money for an initiative to replace the fairgrounds' aging grandstand. Gov. John Hoeven included $5 million in the fair's budget for the project, but the money was removed. (HB1009)

HEATING FUELS: North Dakota's taxes on heating fuels will be gradually abolished during the next two years, at a $4.6 million savings for customers. The state levies a 2 percent tax on natural gas, propane and heating oil, and charges a 5 percent sales tax on coal used for home heating. (HB1049)

HEMP: Lawmakers approved resolutions asking Congress to promote industrial hemp production, and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to recognize the difference between hemp, which does not produce a "high" when smoked, and marijuana. A separate bill authorized North Dakota State University to import and resell industrial hemp seed. (HCR3028, HCR3042, HB1490)

HERITAGE CENTER EXPANSION: A proposed $54 million expansion of the North Dakota Heritage Center now has $1.5 million in startup money. It may be spent only if another $1.5 million is raised from other sources. State government is expected to provide about $30 million for the total project. (SB2341)

JUDGES: North Dakota's Supreme Court justices will see their pay rise from $107,210 annually to $118,121 over two years. The pay of state district judges will increase from $98,070 to $108,236. (HB1002)

KINDERGARTEN: Starting in the 2008-09 school year, schools may receive state aid for students in full-day kindergarten. State education aid is now given only for half-days of kindergarten. Schools are not required to offer kindergarten, and children are not required to attend. (SB2013, SB2200)

KNOW YOUR STATE: Public schools must offer courses in North Dakota studies, "with an emphasis on the geography, history, and agriculture of this state," in the fourth and eighth grades. Students are not required to take the classes. (HB1172)

LAPTOPS: The Legislature's own budget bill includes $350,000 for new laptop computers and printers for legislators and legislative session staff. (HB1001)

LEGISLATORS: Legislators' pay during sessions will rise in two steps from $875 to $945 weekly on July 1, 2008. Their monthly pay is increasing from $350 to $378, and their daily pay for attending interim committee meetings is rising from $100 to $108. On July 1, 2009, the pay for attending interim committee meetings rises again, to $135 daily. (HB1106, HB1001)

MARRIAGE PENALTY: Married couples who file a joint tax return may benefit from a $300 state income tax credit. It is meant to ensure they do not pay more tax as a married couple than they would if they were single and filing separately. The "marriage penalty" protection will extend to couples making $154,200 or less; couples earning more who have a penalty will see it reduced. (SB2032)

MEDAL OF HONOR: The State Historical Society's budget includes $30,000 toward construction of a Minot memorial to honor North Dakota service members who have received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for military valor. (SB2018)

MINIMUM WAGE: If Congress agrees to increase the federal minimum wage, North Dakota's $5.15 an hour minimum wage will rise to $5.85 on the day the new federal minimum takes effect. It will then rise again to $6.55 in 12 months, and to $7.25 in 24 months. (HB1454)

MONEY FROM CROOKS: The Highway Patrol will have authority to keep up to $300,000 every two years from arrests its troopers make that result in seizures of property or cash. (HB1064)

OIL TAXES: Starting July 1, North Dakota's tax rate on new horizontal oil wells drilled in western North Dakota's Bakken geologic formation will drop from 11.5 percent to 7 percent. The lower rate will apply to a well's first 75,000 barrels of production, and will expire in any case after 18 months. Wells drilled between July 1 and June 30, 2008, qualify for the break. (SB2397)

OIL WELLS: Oil wells must be at least 500 feet from a home, an increase in the minimum distance from 330 feet. Homeowners who live within a quarter-mile of a newly drilled well must be notified about the well. (HB1229)

PRISON CONSTRUCTION: A six-member committee of legislators is put in charge of reviewing whether North Dakota should build a new prison, or do extensive renovation and construction work at the existing penitentiary. The panel must analyze each option and decide on its preferred strategy before June 1, 2008. The committee has $250,000 to hire consultants and architectural advice. (HB1015)

PROPERTY TAX CREDIT: North Dakota property tax payers who also pay income taxes may take a credit on their income tax returns equal to 10 percent of the property taxes they pay. The credit is capped at $500 for individuals, and $1,000 for married couples and companies. Any unused credit can be used to offset future income tax bills, or be rebated as a voucher, which then can be used against a future property tax bill. (SB2032)

PUBLIC TELEVISION: Prairie Public Broadcasting is getting $2 million to help finance its conversion from analog to digital broadcasting. (HB1018)

RAPE KITS: A woman who is raped no longer will have to pay the cost of a "rape kit" examination at a clinic or hospital. The woman's health insurer also may not be charged. The North Dakota attorney general's budget includes $500,000 for reimbursements. The exams can cost $450 to $700. (SB2103)

SALES TAX: Cities and counties may not use sales tax collections to support a local school district, unless the school is already using them to pay off a building project. The Williston and Jamestown school districts, among others, are using local sales tax collections to pay off construction debt. (HB1029)

SAVINGS: The balance of the North Dakota treasury's rainy-day fund, formally known as the "budget stabilization fund," increased from just under $100 million to $200 million. With interest earnings, it will be allowed to grow to up to $246 million, which is 10 percent of North Dakota's 2007-09 general fund budget. Legislators agreed to put a constitutional amendment on the November 2008 ballot to restrict their ability to spend a separate fund, called the permanent oil tax trust fund. (HB1429, HCR3045)

SCHOOL ELECTIONS: Starting July 1, an election that allows an increased or unlimited property tax authority for a school district is only effective for 10 years. School district patrons may force a vote on tax questions by submitting a petition with names equaling at least 10 percent of the number of people who voted in the last school election. (SB2032)

SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: The superintendent of North Dakota's Department of Public Instruction no longer needs a teaching license to hold the job. (HB1169).

SEX OFFENDERS: Violent sexual assaults carry a minimum sentence of five to 20 years in prison. The lesser sentence may be imposed only to correct a "manifest injustice," and if the defendant has cooperated with authorities. Registered sex offenders are banned from school grounds, unless the offender has written permission to be there, or if the offender's presence complies with school district policy. Offenders may not be banned from school property if they are there to vote or attend a public meeting. (HB1216, HB1472)

SHOOT THE BURGLAR: North Dakotans who shoot an intruder in their homes, workplaces, motor homes or travel trailers generally may not be prosecuted, or sued in civil court, for use of excessive force. (HB1319)

SMILE IF YOU'RE SPEEDING: The North Dakota Highway Patrol's budget bill includes $642,000 to install video equipment in patrol cars. (HB1011)

SNOW ANGELS: The State Historical Society of North Dakota's budget includes $10,000 to promote North Dakota's status as the "snow angel capital of the world." On Feb. 17, the state set a world record for simultaneous, flapping snow angels in one place - 8,962 on the state Capitol grounds. (SB2018, SCR4035)

STATE EMPLOYEE PAY: Legislators set aside enough money in state agency budgets to give workers a 4 percent pay increase in July, and another 4 percent increase on July 1, 2008. Workers in North Dakota's university system may get 5 percent annual increases. (SB2189, HB1003)

TANNING: Teenagers younger than 18 may not use a tanning salon without written parental consent. Youths younger than 14 may not do so without a doctor's permission, and if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Tanning salons must be licensed by the state Health Department. (HB1154)

TATTOOS: North Dakota tattoo artists may not give a tattoo to anyone younger than 18 without the presence, and permission, of the teenager's parent or guardian. Sale of do-it-yourself tattoo equipment is a crime, punishable by 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Tattoo parlors must be licensed by the state Health Department. Ear piercing is exempt. (HB1505, SB2352)

VETERANS HOME: A new 150-bed state Veterans Home at Lisbon will replace the existing home, which is more than 50 years old. The state is putting up about $9 million of the $21 million cost, with the federal Veterans Administration expected to provide the remainder. (SB2418)

WINE TO GO: Restaurant patrons who buy a bottle of wine with their meals may take home any leftover wine if the bottle is sealed, and the restaurant provides a receipt. (HB1346)

ZONING FOR FEEDLOTS: County commissioners may establish zoned areas within the county for feedlots, but they may not ban feedlot development. (HB1420)