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HB 1397

AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 54-02 and a new section to chapter 54-54 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the designation of the state waltz and state troubadour; and to provide for application.

69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26) Introduced by Dawson Holle and 5 co-sponsors

Codifies official state symbols: the state waltz Dancing Dakota and a five-year state troubadour appointment by the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

Filed with Secretary Of State 03/14
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Bill Summary · HB 1397

Summary — HB 1397 (North Dakota, 104th Legislative Assembly)

Status: Enacted — Signed by Governor 06/20/2025; effective 09/01/2025
Introduced: November 19, 2024
Chapters affected: North Dakota Century Code, new sections to chapter 54‑02 and chapter 54‑54

Purpose / Intent

HB 1397 designates a state cultural symbol (the state waltz) and establishes an official honorary position (state troubadour/trobairitz) and the procedure for appointing that position. The bill codifies a musical and cultural recognition into state law and assigns the North Dakota Council on the Arts a role in selecting the official troubadour.

Key provisions

  • State waltz (new section to chapter 54‑02)

    • Designates "Dancing Dakota", written and composed by Chuck Suchy, as the official North Dakota state waltz.

  • State troubadour (new section to chapter 54‑54)

    • Directs the chairman of the North Dakota Council on the Arts to designate an individual to serve as the official state troubadour or trobairitz.
    • Term length: five years.
    • Vacancy procedure: the chairman may appoint a replacement to serve the unexpired portion of any vacated term.
    • Uses the gender‑inclusive titles “troubadour or trobairitz.”

  • Application clause

    • Requires that an official state troubadour be appointed under the statute (section 2) at the conclusion of the term of the inaugural troubadour previously appointed by resolution of the Sixty‑Ninth Legislative Assembly. (This ensures the statutory appointment process governs future fills once the initial, resolution‑appointed term ends.)

Who is affected

  • Chuck Suchy: expressly recognized as the composer of the state waltz (symbolic honor).
  • North Dakota Council on the Arts: administrative responsibility for designating the state troubadour/trobairitz; the council chairman makes appointments.
  • North Dakota arts community and general public: receives an officially recognized state cultural symbol and a rotating honorary artist role intended to promote state arts and cultural outreach.
  • No regulatory changes to citizens’ rights or obligations.

Fiscal and practical impact

  • The bill creates honorary/cultural designations and imposes minimal administrative duties on the Council on the Arts (appointment and occasional vacancy fills). No substantive regulatory requirements or funding authorizations are included. Fiscal impact is expected to be negligible and limited to routine administrative tasks.

Miscellaneous

  • The bill codifies the recognitions into the North Dakota Century Code, making them permanent state law subject to future amendment by the Legislature.

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

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