This Protestant finds the proposed breach of the priest to parishioner relationship abhorrent. This is violative of the First Amendment protection for religion. I am surprised such legislation would be proposed in deep red North Dakota, but it appears even Republicans are willing to breach the sanctity of the confessional.
Thank you. Some have such a vitriolic hate for Catholicism that they will rally around this bill, totally oblivious to the fact that this is not about striking out at Catholicism, but at religion in general and Christianity in specific.
I have an uncle who is a priest, and was training for the priesthood when I was a teen. I asked him the, "What ifs..." if somebody came into the confessional and admitted to a heinous murder. He said that he would direct a penance which included surrendering to the authorities, and I suspect most priests would direct similarly.
This law sounds like a set up for stings, just like state liquor boards that will send a teen into a bar or liquor store to see if they will be sold alcohol. This law is simply a set up to send people into confessionals to admit to bogus crimes to see if the priest will comply with the law.
As others here have indicated, there are spousal privileges and attorney-client privileges. Violation of the priest and penitent privilege under force of authority is a slippery slope that is very, very dangerous.