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HB 1554

Funding for deputy sheriffs.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Wren Williams

The bill redefines the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Advisory Board as a 12-member body with specific stakeholder representation and requires a majority advisory vote for grant rec

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Bill Summary · HB 1554

Summary — North Dakota HB 1554 (2025)

AN ACT to amend and reenact section 54‑17.8‑06 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the North Dakota outdoor heritage advisory board; and to declare an emergency.

Note: Several other jurisdictions also filed bills numbered “HB 1554” in 2025 on unrelated topics. This summary covers the North Dakota enactment described above.

Main purpose

To revise and clarify the composition, membership appointments, meeting/quorum rules, terms, and grant‑recommendation authority of the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Advisory Board, and to make the act effective immediately by declaring an emergency.

Key provisions / changes

  • Board composition: establishes a 12‑member voting advisory board appointed by the governor, with specified representation:
    • 4 members from the agriculture community — one each recommended from: North Dakota Farm Bureau, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, and North Dakota Grain Growers Association.
    • 2 members from the energy industry — one from the North Dakota Petroleum Council and one from the Lignite Energy Council.
    • 4 members from the conservation community — appointed from statewide conservation groups (at‑large).
    • 1 member from the business community (appointed from the Greater North Dakota Chamber).
    • 1 member from the North Dakota Recreation and Park Association.
  • Technical/ex officio members: governor appoints one nonvoting, technical representative from each of these agencies:
    • Department of Parks and Recreation
    • Department of Water Resources
    • Game and Fish Department
    • Office of the State Forester
    • North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts
  • Terms and limits:
    • Voting members serve four‑year terms beginning July 1.
    • Members may not serve more than two consecutive terms.
    • Initial terms must be staggered by a method determined by the board.
  • Governance and meetings:
    • The advisory board selects its chair.
    • Seven voting members constitute a quorum.
    • The board shall hold at least two regular meetings each year; the chair may call additional meetings.
    • Special meetings must be called upon written request of any five members.
  • Grant‑recommendation requirement:
    • The advisory board may not forward a grant application to the Outdoor Heritage Commission unless:
    • the application funds activities that fulfill the chapter’s purposes, and
    • the application receives a favorable recommendation from a majority of advisory board members present at a meeting where a quorum exists.
  • Appointment status: members appointed by the governor serve at the governor’s pleasure.

Who is affected

  • Appointing authorities (Governor’s office)
  • The specified organizations whose representatives will sit on the advisory board
  • State agencies named as nonvoting technical members
  • Conservation, agricultural, energy, business, and recreation stakeholders who apply for or rely on Outdoor Heritage grants
  • The Outdoor Heritage Commission, which will receive only those grant applications that clear the advisory board’s recommendation requirement

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Introduced in the 69th Legislative Assembly (2025) and amended in committee.
  • Final passage votes recorded in enrollment: House—yeas 90 / nays 3; Senate—yeas 45 / nays 2.
  • Emergency clause carried.
  • Signed by the Governor on March 25, 2025; filed with the Secretary of State on March 26, 2025 — effective immediately due to the declared emergency.

Practical effect

The statute codifies a specific stakeholder structure for the Outdoor Heritage Advisory Board, formalizes meeting and quorum rules, and requires a majority advisory recommendation (at quorum) before grant applications are forwarded to the commission. The emergency clause makes these changes effective immediately upon filing.

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

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