North Dakota Bill Tracking And State Guide
Everything you need to know to engage with the Senate and House
How does a bill become law in North Dakota?
1. Introduction of the Bill:
A bill can be introduced by members of the Legislative Assembly, standing committees, or the Legislative Management. Additionally, a state executive agency or the North Dakota Supreme Court can have bills introduced in the name of the corresponding standing committee.
2. Bill Numbers:
House bills start with the number 1001 and Senate bills start with 2001.
3. Majority Vote:
To become law, a bill must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate by a majority vote of the members-elect in each house.
4. Effective Date:
Generally, bills adopted by the Legislative Assembly take effect on August 1 after filing with the Secretary of State. However, some appropriations and tax measures may become effective on July 1. The effective date can be adjusted if specified in the bill or if an “emergency” is declared by the Legislative Assembly, requiring a two-thirds vote.
5. Session Laws:
The measures enacted (bills) are compiled in the Session Laws, which contain the text of laws, proposed constitutional amendments, vote totals, and more.
6. Codification:
North Dakota law is codified in the North Dakota Century Code, which organizes and preserves the laws systematically.
How can a member of the public get involved in the legislative process in North Dakota?
A member of the public can get involved in the legislative process in North Dakota in several ways:
1. Understanding Bills and Resolutions: Familiarizing oneself with the legislative process, including how bills and resolutions are introduced, what they entail, and their purposes.
2. Participating in the Legislative Assembly: Individuals can contact their representatives in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly to express their opinions on proposed bills and resolutions. This can be done through phone calls, emails, or attending public meetings.
3. Attending Legislative Sessions: Members of the public are encouraged to attend legislative sessions to observe discussions and debates. This provides an opportunity to understand the process better and see how representatives advocate for various issues.
4. Providing Testimony: Citizens can provide testimony during committee hearings when specific bills are being discussed. This allows individuals to voice their support or concerns regarding legislation.
5. Submitting Proposed Legislation: While typically bills are introduced by legislative members or committees, interested public members can work with their legislators to draft proposals or resolutions that can then be introduced in the legislature.
6. Staying Informed: Stay up to date on legislative matters, including new bills, amendments, and upcoming votes.
7. Engaging with Advocacy Groups: Joining or supporting advocacy groups that align with particular issues can amplify individual voices and provide organized efforts in influencing legislation.
How can FastDemocracy help me with that?
Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in North Dakota every year (and about 180,000 bills nationwide). If you want to be an effective advocate, you need to know where legislation of interest stands, and act quickly.
FastDemocracy's free version allows you to track an unlimited number of bills - no strings attached. We'll send you a daily or weekly email on your priority bills and give you tools to research bills and legislators.
FastDemocracy Professional is for anyone who tracks bills in a professional capacity. It features
- real-time bill, amendment and hearing alerts
- automated reporting
- team collaboration
- bill tagging for clients and stakeholders
- bill similarity detection
- ...and much more
How do I track bills in North Dakota?
1. Sign up here for a free FastDemocracy account.
2. Head to Tracked Topics to select issue areas you care about.
3. Use the search bar on top if you're looking for something specific.
4. Click "Track Bill" for any legislation you'd like to monitor a bit closer. That's how you add it to your Tracked Bills. You can also click on a bill to learn more, see the bill summary, most recent actions, votes, news and tweets. You can also contact legislators or share your bills on social media.
5. You can track an unlimited number of bills for free and we'll send you a daily or weekly email if your tracked legislation moves.
6. Do you need real-time alerts, outreach tools, bill lists, and professional functions? Then FastDemocracy Professional is the right fit for you.
7. Track bills on your smartphone using our free mobile app.
How do I find my local North Dakota Senator and Representative?
You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.
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Most tracked bills in North Dakota, 69th Legislative Assembly (2025-2026)
A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of various divisions of the department of health and human services; to amend and reenact sections 50-06-06.6, 50-06-42, 50-24.5-02.3, and 50-33-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to leases of department of health and human services property, substance use disorder treatment program, basic care payment rates, and state of residence for child care assistance; to provide for a transfer; to authorize a line of credit; to provide legislative intent; to provide for a legislative management study; to provide an application; to provide an exemption; to provide for a report; and to provide an effective date.
Last Action
Committee Work, Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division, 04/01 2:00 PM, Room Harvest - Committee Work: Committee work - additional testimony
Senate • Apr 01, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 26.1-36 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to individual and group health insurance coverage of insulin drugs and supplies; and to amend and reenact section 54-52.1-04.18 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to health insurance benefits coverage of insulin drugs and supplies.
Last Action
Sent to Governor
House • Apr 01, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 26.1-36 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs; to amend and reenact section 26.1-36.6-03 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to self-insurance health care plans; and to provide for application.
Last Action
Committee Work, Senate Appropriations, 04/01 9:00 AM, Room Harvest - Committee Work: Committee Work - Relating to out‑of‑pocket expenses for prescription drugs. Relating to self‑insurance health care plans; and to provide for application.
Senate • Apr 01, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new chapter to title 15.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to an education savings account program; to provide an appropriation; and to provide an effective date.
Last Action
Committee Work, Senate Education, 04/01 9:00 AM, Room 216 - Committee Work: Committee Work
Senate • Apr 01, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact chapter 26.1-36.12 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to prior authorization for health insurance; to provide for a legislative management study; to provide for a legislative management report; and to provide an effective date.
Last Action
Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 10 0 4
House • Apr 01, 2025A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact sections 65-01-02, 65-01-16, and 65-02-27, subsection 1 of section 65-05-17, and subsection 4 of section 65-05-20.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the definition of disability, the definition of electronic means, forms and decisions issued by electronic means, requests for rehearing of an administrative order, maximum death benefits, and the scholarship fund; and to provide for application.
Last Action
Returned to Senate (12)
Senate • Mar 31, 2025A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact section 50-25.1-15 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to abandonment of infants in newborn safety devices.
Last Action
Committee Work, Senate Human Services, 03/31 3:01 PM, Room Fort Lincoln - Committee Work: *** CANCELED *** Relating to abandonment of infants in newborn safety devices.
Senate • Mar 31, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 19-24.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to qualifying nonresident medical marijuana patients; to amend and reenact subsection 3 of section 19-24.1-01, subsection 4 of section 19-24.1-01, subsection 8 of section 19-24.1-01, subsection 26 of section 19-24.1-01, subsection 47 of section 19-24.1-01, and sections 19-24.1-03, 19-24.1-11, and 19-24.1-37 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to medical marijuana recordkeeping, cannibinoid edible products, patient qualifications, and disclosure of information.
Last Action
Committee Work, Senate Human Services, 03/31 9:07 AM, Room Fort Lincoln - Committee Work: Relating to qualifying nonresident medical marijuana patients; to amend and reenact subsection 3 of section 19‑24.1‑01, subsection 4 of section 19‑24.1‑01, subsection 8 of section 19‑24.1‑01, subsection 26 of section 19‑24.1‑01, subsection 47 of section 19‑24.1‑01, and sections 19‑24.1‑03, 19‑24.1‑1
Senate • Mar 31, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 1-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to requiring the state to observe standard time year round; and to repeal section 40-01-20 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to daylight saving time.
Last Action
Committee Hearing 10:00 (State and Local Government)
Senate • Mar 27, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact section 1-01-34 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to gender usage in the North Dakota Century Code and state records.
Last Action
Committee Hearing 09:00 (Education)
Senate • Mar 24, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 49-04-07 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to unreasonable preferences or advantages from public utilities; and to repeal sections 49-04-08, 49-04-09, and 49-04-10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to regulation of common carriers relating to permissible discrimination, long and short hauls, and freight pooling.
Last Action
Filed with Secretary Of State 03/14
executive • Mar 19, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 26.1-27-03 and 26.1-27.1-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to licensing for administrators of life and health insurance and pharmacy benefit managers.
Last Action
Filed with Secretary Of State 03/14
executive • Mar 19, 2025Latest Version
A concurrent resolution urging the United States Supreme Court to restore the definition of marriage to a union between one man and one woman.
Last Action
Second reading, failed to adopt
Senate • Mar 13, 2025Latest Version
AN ACT to provide an appropriation to the department of commerce for a state radar data pathfinder program; to provide for a report; and to declare an emergency.
Last Action
Filed with Secretary Of State 02/25
executive • Mar 12, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 57-38 and a new subdivision to subsection 7 of section 57-38-30.3 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a home education income tax credit for qualified educational expenses; and to provide an effective date.
Last Action
Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 15 nays 30
Senate • Feb 25, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact sections 14-09-00.1 and 14-09-29 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to parental rights and responsibilities; and to provide for application.
Last Action
Motion to reconsider failed
House • Feb 17, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new chapter to title 15.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to an education savings account program.
Last Action
Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 20 nays 24
Senate • Feb 14, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact two new sections to chapter 15-10, a new section to chapter 15.1-09, and a new section to chapter 15.1-21 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to displays of the ten commandments in state educational institutions and public schools.
Last Action
Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 38 nays 53
House • Feb 12, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 12.1-16, a new section to chapter 12.1-17, and two new sections to chapter 32-21 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the definition of human being and person as the terms relate to the offenses of murder and assault, and civil actions for death caused by wrongful acts.
Last Action
Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 16 nays 77
House • Feb 12, 2025Latest Version
A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact section 43-58-08.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to eligibility requirements for endorsement to prescribe independently of naturopathic doctors.
Last Action
Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 4 nays 43
Senate • Jan 17, 2025Latest Version
All Legislators in North Dakota (Senator and Representative)
