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.

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.

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

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.

You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.