SB 2319 North Dakota Senate · 69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26)

A BILL for an Act to provide for a legislative management study relating to periodically reconvened sessions of the legislative assembly.

SB 2319 would change how the North Dakota legislature schedules additional sessions after its regular January meeting. It allows legislative management to reconvene the assembly for three consecutive days each month (Friday through Sunday, except December) plus up to seven additional days annually. These sessions must stay within the constitutional limits on total session days, and the bill clarifies that the legislature must reconvene as determined by management regardless of prior adjournment motions. The bill directly affects legislative scheduling procedures but does not create new laws or policies for the public.
Bill status passed 2 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Failed
Feb 2025
Governor
Introduced Jan 20, 2025 Last action Feb 12, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

INTRODUCED FIRST ENGROSSMENT · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was changed from amending existing laws about legislative session dates to directing legislative management to study the topic during the 2025-26 interim. This shifts the bill from making immediate changes to scheduling laws to requesting a review of how the legislature meets periodically.
Scope change
The bill's scope changed from directly amending North Dakota Century Code sections 54-03-02 and 54-35-16 to creating a study requirement for legislative management instead of enacting permanent changes.
REQUIREMENT

Removed provisions that directly amended the North Dakota Century Code to set specific dates and rules for when the legislative assembly must reconvene.

Added a requirement for legislative management to conduct a study during the 2025-26 interim on periodically reconvened sessions, including consideration of meeting on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from January 1, 2027 to the completion of the study and reporting to the seventieth legislative assembly.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill numbering from 25.0707.01000 to 25.0707.02000 and changed the bill title to reflect a study rather than amendments.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 12, 2025

How they voted

2126
Failed
Total votes 47
Feb 12, 2025
D Democratic5
3 Yea 2 Nay
60% Yea
R Republican42
18 Yea 24 Nay
57% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
3
Committee
2
Amendments
1
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amendment adopted
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
Amendment proposed on floor
upper
Feb 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported back, do not pass, placed on calendar 6 0 0
upper
Feb 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee Hearing 10:00
upper
Jan 20, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, first reading, referred State and Local Government Committee
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors