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SB 2278

AN ACT to provide a legislative management study relating to the retention of library materials.

69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26)

North Dakota study on whether state agency libraries must retain original texts when publishers issue revised versions, analyze AI updates, and fiscal/operational impacts.

Filed with Secretary Of State 03/31
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Bill Summary · SB 2278

SB 2278 — Legislative management study on retention of library materials (North Dakota)

Status: Filed with Secretary of State (03/31/2025). Introduced: March 11, 2025. Passed both chambers (Senate 44–1; House 77–14). Signed by Governor (03/28/2025).

Purpose

SB 2278 directs the Legislative Management to consider, during the 2025–26 interim, a study on the feasibility and desirability of requiring libraries maintained by state agencies to retain original‑text copies when publishers issue new versions that update language described in the bill as “more socially progressive, politically correct, inclusive, or less socially offensive.” The study also must analyze the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in updating or altering library materials and assess fiscal and operational impacts of collection management.

Key provisions

  • Directs Legislative Management to consider a study during the 2025–26 interim on:
    • Whether state‑agency libraries (including the State Library and libraries at institutions under the State Board of Higher Education) should be required to retain a copy of any book or written material containing the material’s original text when a publisher issues a revised version that changes language as described above.
    • How AI has or will affect retention of library materials and how library materials are updated or altered using AI.
    • Fiscal and operational impacts of such collection management requirements.
  • Requires Legislative Management to report findings and recommendations, and any draft legislation needed to implement them, to the Seventieth Legislative Assembly.

Who is affected

  • Libraries maintained by state agencies, specifically:
    • The State Library
    • Libraries at institutions governed by the State Board of Higher Education
  • Indirectly affected: library staff, archivists, curators, higher‑education institutions, researchers, students, and potentially state budget/planning offices (if recommendations propose new mandates or funding).

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Study period: 2025–26 interim.
  • Reporting deadline: findings and any proposed legislation must be submitted to the Seventieth Legislative Assembly.
  • Bill received committee action and floor votes in early 2025 and, according to legislative actions, was signed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State in late March 2025.

Practical considerations the study is likely to address

  • Storage, cataloging and preservation costs for retaining additional original copies.
  • Access, discovery and public‑use policies (digital vs. physical retention).
  • Copyright and licensing implications when keeping original and revised versions.
  • How AI tools might modify texts (e.g., automated redaction, language modernization) and how to document/version these changes for archival integrity.
  • Operational impacts on acquisition, de‑duplication, and weeding policies.

Note: The bill text uses subjective descriptors (“socially progressive,” “politically correct,” etc.) to define the class of publisher revisions that would trigger retention; the study would examine how that scope could be practically defined and implemented.

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

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