HB 1145 — Summary (North Dakota): Ten Commandments displays in public education
Short title / purpose
House Bill 1145 would require and authorize displays of the text of the Ten Commandments in specified locations at North Dakota public schools and state higher-education institutions, and would allow individual teachers and professors to display the Ten Commandments in their assigned classrooms without prior administrative approval.
Where it amends
Creates new sections in:
- Chapter 15‑10 (state higher education)
- Chapter 15.1‑09 (public school boards)
- Chapter 15.1‑21 (teachers)
Key provisions
- Displays required in public settings:
- The State Board of Higher Education must display the Ten Commandments in a prominent, visible location in a cafeteria on the campus of each state educational institution under its control (institutions may display them elsewhere at their discretion).
- A school district board must display the Ten Commandments in a prominent, visible location in a cafeteria of each school in the district (schools may display them elsewhere at the discretion of administrators or the board).
- Teacher / professor display permission:
- A professor, instructor, or teacher may display the Ten Commandments in his/her assigned classroom without seeking prior approval from supervisors, the institution president, or the school board.
- Display specifications:
- Must be a poster or framed document at least 11 inches by 14 inches.
- Must be the central focus of the poster/frame and printed in a large, easily readable font.
- The bill prescribes the exact text to be displayed (the traditional wording of the Ten Commandments is included verbatim in the bill).
- Implementation and funding:
- The State Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Public School Education must adopt rules to implement the requirements.
- School boards and institutions may use funds or donated funds to purchase displays and may accept donated displays. (Some bill versions specify use of donated funds; language varied across amendments.)
- Legal defense provision (in some engrossed versions):
- The bill authorizes a private law firm to provide legal services at no cost to defend constitutional challenges to the section, including representation of the state boards or institutions.
Who is affected
- State Board of Higher Education and institutions under its control
- State Board of Public School Education, local school districts, schools, school boards
- Teachers, instructors, and professors in North Dakota public schools and higher-education institutions
- Students and the school communities
- Potential donors and private legal service providers
Potential impacts and considerations
- Administrative: minimal direct fiscal cost for purchasing posters/frames; boards may rely on donated displays. Rulemaking by the state boards would be required.
- Legal: the measure explicitly incorporates a private legal-defense option; the text and mandatory nature raise potential Establishment Clause concerns under the U.S. Constitution and related state constitutional issues. Those legal risks are likely the most significant practical consequence.
- Educational environment: permits individual instructors to display the text without prior approval, which could affect classroom climate and lead to differing practices across campuses/districts.
Procedural history (selected)
- Introduced: filed 11/12/2024 (ND House)
- Committee action: Judiciary Committee adopted versions/amendments (report dated Feb 10, 2025)
- Readings / floor action: advanced through drafting and engrossment; on second reading the measure failed to pass (vote recorded: yeas 38, nays 53).
Note: multiple bill drafts and amendments were considered; earlier drafts required displays in each classroom, later versions narrowed to a prominent cafeteria location while retaining permissive classroom display authority for teachers/professors. The bill text prescribes the exact Ten Commandments wording and sets minimal size/format standards for displays.
