Bill
HB 1162
The bill changes Lake Agassiz Water Authority board composition by reorganizing seats based on city size and location relative to highways, increasing representation for several ca
Status (summary)
- Introduced: November 12, 2024 (Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly)
- Action: Legislature amended and passed the bill; enrolled version shows final text and vote totals. Legislative records list the bill as Act No. 066 (Gov. Msg. No. 1166), with final enactment activity dated May 2025 and filing with the Secretary of State thereafter.
Purpose and intent
- HB 1162 revises the statutory composition and selection criteria for the Board of Directors that governs the Lake Agassiz Water Authority. The change clarifies and adjusts how seats are allocated by municipality size and by geographic area relative to State Highway 1 and State Highway 200, and preserves a seat for a qualifying Minnesota city.
Key provisions — what the bill changes
- Amends subsection 1 of NDCC § 61‑39‑03 to specify the board makeup as follows (each bullet corresponds to the enumerated subsections in the bill):
- One member from a city with population greater than 40,000 located east of State Highway 1 and north of State Highway 200.
- Two members (changed from one) from differing cities with population greater than 40,000 located east of State Highway 1 and south of State Highway 200.
- One member from a city with population of 5,000 but not more than 40,000 located east of State Highway 1.
- One member from a city with population of less than 5,000 located east of State Highway 1.
- Two members from water districts located east of State Highway 1 and north of State Highway 200.
- Two members from water districts located east of State Highway 1 and south of State Highway 200.
- One member from water districts located east of State Highway 1 (additional statewide district representative).
- One member from a Minnesota city with population over 30,000 located within five miles of North Dakota.
- One member from water districts located west of State Highway 1.
- One member from a city west of State Highway 1.
Who is affected
- The Lake Agassiz Water Authority — its governance structure and regional representation.
- Municipalities and water districts in North Dakota (and the specified Minnesota city) whose eligibility and relative influence on the Authority board are determined by population thresholds and geographic location relative to State Highways 1 and 200.
- Stakeholders in regional water planning and projects (irrigation, water supply, flood control, distribution infrastructure), because board composition affects policy and project decisions.
Practical impact and considerations
- The bill reshapes representation on the Authority board by clarifying population bands and geography and by increasing the number of seats for certain city- and water-district categories (notably two members for large cities south of Highway 200). This can change voting dynamics and regional influence over Authority priorities, project approvals, and resource allocations.
- No fiscal provisions or appropriations are included in the bill text; the changes are organizational/representational. Any operational or administrative impacts (e.g., election/appointment processes, travel/meeting logistics) would depend on how the Authority implements the new membership rules.
Procedural / timeline notes
- The bill amends an existing statutory section setting board selection rules (NDCC § 61‑39‑03(1)).
- Legislative roll-call totals appear in the enrolled version (e.g., House 90–0; Senate 45–1), and enactment is recorded as Act No. 066 in May 2025 (Gov. Msg. No. 1166), with subsequent filing with the Secretary of State.
If you want, I can:
- Compare the enacted language with the previous statutory text to show precisely what numeric or geographic changes were made; or
- Map which North Dakota cities and water districts are likely to qualify under each category based on current population figures.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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