Bill To Law: North Dakota's Process

The process of a bill becoming a law in North Dakota is a lengthy one. The bill must pass the House of Representatives and the Senate by a majority vote of the members-elect in each house. Bills can be introduced by members of the Legislative Assembly, standing committees, or the Legislative Management. They are then given a First Reading, where the bill's title is read by the Secretary of the Senate or Chief Clerk of the House. Following this, the bill is referred to a standing committee, a public hearing is scheduled, and the bill is reported back to the floor for a vote. If the bill passes, it is delivered to the other house, where the process is repeated. Once a bill has passed both houses in the same form, it is enrolled by the Legislative Council staff, signed by the presiding officer of each house, and delivered to the Governor for approval. The Governor can sign a bill, not sign a bill, or veto it. If a bill is vetoed, it is returned to the house of origin for a vote. If the veto is overridden, the bill is delivered to the Secretary of State. A law usually takes effect on August 1 after its filing with the Secretary of State, unless specified otherwise.

Bills are introduced by members of the Legislative Assembly, standing committees, or the Legislative Management

Bills in North Dakota are introduced by members of the Legislative Assembly, standing committees, or the Legislative Management. A state executive agency or the North Dakota Supreme Court can also have bills automatically introduced in the name of the standing committee to which the bill will be referred. Bills can be introduced by members of the Legislative Assembly during the legislative session, which occurs every other year in odd-numbered years. During this session, legislators can deliver a bill to the bill clerk of the appropriate house at any time.

Bills are also introduced during the organisational session, which occurs between December 10 and December 24. During this time, a legislator may prefile a bill with the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council staff will then number and print the bill so that copies are available when the Legislative Assembly convenes in the regular session. These prefiled bills are introduced on the first day of the regular session, even if they have already been numbered, printed, and referred to the appropriate standing committees.

House bills begin with the number 1001, while Senate bills begin with 2001. The Legislative Assembly must pass a bill with a majority vote in each house for it to become a law.

Bills are voted on by the House of Representatives and the Senate

The North Dakota Legislative Branch is one of the most open legislatures in the nation. Every bill must be voted on by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and each bill must have a public hearing before a legislative committee, be publicly voted on by the committee, and then come before the full House or Senate for still another public vote.

The process begins with a legislator delivering a bill to the bill clerk of the appropriate house. The bill is then given a First Reading, where its title is read by the Secretary of the Senate or Chief Clerk of the House. The presiding officer then refers the bill to a standing committee, and the committee chairman schedules a public hearing. After the public hearing, the committee must report the bill back to the floor for a vote. Every bill reported from the committee is placed on the calendar for consideration the next day. If the bill passes, it is delivered to the other house, where a similar procedure is followed.

If the bill is amended in the other house, it is returned to the house of origin for concurrence. If the house of origin does not concur, the presiding officer of each house appoints three members to a six-member conference committee to resolve differences. The house of origin votes on the conference committee report first, and then the other house votes on it. Once a bill has passed both houses in exactly the same form, it is enrolled by the Legislative Council staff, signed by the presiding officer of each house, and delivered to the Governor for approval.

Bills are sent to the Governor for approval

Once a bill has passed both houses in exactly the same form, it is enrolled (retyped with all amendments in place) by the Legislative Council staff, signed by the presiding officer of each house, and delivered to the Governor for approval. The Governor may sign a bill and forward it to the Secretary of State, forward a bill to the Secretary of State without a signature, or veto a bill or items in a bill.

While the Legislative Assembly is in session, a bill becomes law if the Governor neither signs nor vetoes it within three legislative days of its delivery. If the Legislative Assembly is not in session, a bill becomes law if the Governor neither signs nor vetoes it within 15 days (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) after its delivery.

If the Governor vetoes a bill while the Legislative Assembly is in session, the bill must be returned to the house of origin for a vote on whether to sustain (agree with) the veto. If the house of origin passes the bill by a two-thirds vote of the members-elect, the bill is sent to the other house, and if that house also passes the bill by a two-thirds vote of the members-elect, the veto is overridden, and the bill is delivered to the Secretary of State.

The Governor can sign, forward without signature, or veto a bill

Once a bill has passed both houses in exactly the same form, it is sent to the Governor for approval. The Governor can choose to sign a bill and forward it to the Secretary of State, or forward it without their signature. In both cases, the bill will become law.

The Governor can also veto a bill, or items in a bill. If the Legislative Assembly is in session, the Governor must return a vetoed bill to the house of origin for a vote on whether to sustain (agree with) the veto. If the house of origin passes the bill by a two-thirds vote of the members-elect, the bill is sent to the other house, and if that house also passes the bill by a two-thirds vote of the members-elect, the veto is overridden and the bill is delivered to the Secretary of State.

If the Governor vetoes a bill while the Legislative Assembly is not in session, a bill becomes law if the Governor neither signs nor vetoes it within 15 days (Saturdays and Sundays excepted) after its delivery to the Governor.

A bill becomes a law if the Governor neither signs nor vetoes it within a certain timeframe

In North Dakota, a bill becomes law if the Governor neither signs nor vetoes it within a certain timeframe. If the Legislative Assembly is in session, a bill becomes law if the Governor does not act upon it within three legislative days of its delivery. If the Legislative Assembly is not in session, a bill becomes law if the Governor does not act within 15 days (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) of receiving it.

This is the final step in the process of a bill becoming law in North Dakota. Before this, a bill must pass the House of Representatives and the Senate by a majority vote. All bills receive a First Reading, where the title is read by the Secretary of the Senate or Chief Clerk of the House. Following this, the bill is referred to a standing committee, which schedules a public hearing. After the public hearing, the committee must report the bill back to the floor for a vote. If the bill passes, it is sent to the other house, where the process is repeated. If the bill is amended, it is returned to the house of origin for concurrence. Once a bill has passed both houses in the same form, it is signed by the presiding officers of each house and delivered to the Governor.

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