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HB 1603

An Act providing for requirements for sampling and initial curing of concrete samples on commercial construction projects; and imposing penalties.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Danilo Burgos and 9 co-sponsors

ND appropriates $500,000 to its Historical Society to fund NAGPRA compliance, create a tribal-inclusive committee, require up to $100,000 tribal matching, and prohibit studies.

Referred to Housing & Community Development
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Bill Summary · HB 1603

Summary — HB 1603 (North Dakota)

AN ACT to provide an appropriation to the state historical society for Native American grave protection and repatriation compliance efforts

Purpose

HB 1603 provides state funding and a governance structure to help North Dakota comply with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The bill focuses on supporting repatriation of culturally significant human remains and associated cultural items and on building state–tribal capacity to carry out compliance activities.

Key provisions

  • Appropriation: $500,000 from the general fund for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2027. Funds are to be used by the State Historical Society for NAGPRA compliance efforts.
  • Compliance committee: The State Historical Society must use the funds to establish a compliance committee composed of:
    • Tribal historic preservation officers (or designees) from each North Dakota tribe with an agreement under chapter 54‑40.2;
    • Representatives from the State Historical Society, the Indian Affairs Commission, and the Attorney General’s office.
  • Tribal matching funds: Each tribe participating on the committee shall provide matching funds of up to $100,000 for committee efforts.
  • Financial controls: All funds received for compliance efforts must be placed into a separate account with oversight by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
  • Committee duties: Identify and prioritize compliance and repatriation efforts for culturally significant human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony; develop policies for meetings, grant usage, training, consultation, documentation, and compliance timelines; provide for staffing, training, and consultation with tribal historic preservation offices.
  • Prohibited use: The appropriation may not be used to authorize or fund any new scientific study of Native American ancestral remains or burial property as defined by NAGPRA.

Who is affected

  • Tribal nations in North Dakota (tribal historic preservation offices and tribal governments) — direct participants and recipients of matching/grant efforts.
  • State Historical Society — recipient and administrator of funds and convener of the compliance committee.
  • Museums, cultural institutions, Indian Affairs Commission, and Attorney General’s office — parties to committee work and potential partners in repatriation processes.
  • OMB — oversight of the separate account.

Timeline and procedural status

  • Biennium covered: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027.
  • Legislative action: Introduced Dec. 12, 2024; passed both chambers with unanimous recorded votes; enrolled and transmitted to Governor; signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on April 16, 2025 (notified as Act 365).

Potential impact and considerations

  • The appropriation funds organizational and administrative actions (committee formation, staffing, training, consultations, and policy development) to facilitate repatriation—but at $500,000 the scope is modest compared with earlier draft language that proposed $5 million and broader grant authority.
  • Requirement that tribes provide matching funds (up to $100,000) may leverage additional resources but could present capacity or equity issues for some tribes.
  • The prohibition on funding new scientific studies aims to limit use of funds to repatriation and compliance activities rather than research on ancestral remains.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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