1. A student's active participation in a health care sharing ministry, as defined under chapter 50-37, satisfies any requirement that a student enrolled in an institution of higher education maintain health care coverage, except as provided in subsection 2.
2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, this section does not apply to an international student who is required to maintain health insurance coverage in compliance with federal visa regulations, including students holding J, F, or M visas. Institutions of higher education shall require these students to obtain a health insurance policy that meets the minimum standards provided by the United States department of state and a state board of higher education policy governing health insurance requirements for international students.