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HB 1621 North Dakota House · 69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26)

AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 15.1-21-01 and section 15.1-21-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to requiring the presidential physical fitness test in physical education courses in elementary, middle, and high schools and providing exceptions to the test; and to provide an effective date.

Summary
Relating to requiring the presidential physical fitness test in physical education courses in elementary, middle, and high schools and providing exceptions to the test; and to provide an effective date.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Jan 2026
House Passage
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
Signed into Law
Jan 2026
Introduced Jan 21, 2026 Signed Jan 23, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

FIRST ENGROSSMENT → Enrollment · 4 edits
MODERATE
This bill amends North Dakota education law to require physical education courses to include the presidential physical fitness test, with flexibility for exceptions. It also updates high school graduation requirements to include computer science and cybersecurity coursework, and clarifies how schools must make courses available to students.
Scope change
The bill expands high school graduation requirements to mandate computer science or cybersecurity coursework and modifies physical education requirements to include fitness testing.
REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for high schools to provide one unit of computer science or cybersecurity coursework for graduation.

Modified physical education requirements to mandate participation in the presidential physical fitness test, with authority for the superintendent to establish criteria and exceptions.

TIMELINE

Set effective date of August 1, 2027, and established a deadline of July 1, 2024 for schools to develop computer science integration plans.

TECHNICAL

Updated formatting and structure of the bill text from draft version to final enrollment version, including session dates and page numbering.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 23, 2026 · House Jan 22, 2026

How they voted

43–3
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 47
Jan 23, 2026
D Democratic5
4 Yea 1 Nay
80% Yea
R Republican42
39 Yea 2 Nay 1
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
7
Committee
3
Jan 28, 2026
Introduced
Filed with Secretary Of State 01/23
legislature
Jan 23, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by Governor 01/23
lower
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Second reading, passed, yeas 43 nays 3
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, first reading, referred Joint Policy Committee
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Second reading, passed, yeas 90 nays 2
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 12 1 1
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee Hearing 01:00
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee Hearing 11:00
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, first reading, referred Joint Policy Committee
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.