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HB 1508

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2026 Regular Session Introduced by Calvin Beaulier

The bill standardizes how local assessors value agricultural land by prioritizing use, soil, and modifiers, and requires written proof if local values diverge from county estimates

Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 02/05/2026 HJ 3 P. 12
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Bill Summary · HB 1508

HB 1508 — North Dakota (Summary)

Note: Several different bills numbered HB 1508 exist in other states. This summary addresses the North Dakota bill titled “An Act to amend and reenact subsection 8 of section 57‑02‑27.2 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to valuation and assessment of agricultural lands.”

Purpose / Intent

The bill clarifies and reshapes how local assessors determine the “relative value” and agricultural value of individual assessment parcels within an assessor’s jurisdiction. It aims to standardize the order of considerations assessors must apply when valuing agricultural land and to formalize evidence and adjustment procedures when local valuations differ significantly from county-level estimates.

Key provisions and changes

  • Requires each local assessor to:
    • Determine the relative value of every assessment parcel in their jurisdiction.
    • Determine each parcel’s agricultural value by adjusting the district agricultural value estimate by the parcel’s relative value.
    • Assess each parcel under existing section 57‑02‑27.
  • Specifies that if a local assessor or a township board of equalization develops an agricultural value for lands in its district that “differs substantially” from the county director of tax equalization’s estimate, the assessor/board must provide written evidence supporting the change to the county director of tax equalization.
  • Establishes an ordered list of factors (in descending order of significance) that local assessors must apply when determining relative value. The bill lists, in priority order:
    1. Actual use of the property for cropland or noncropland purposes by the parcel owner.
    2. Soil type and soil classification data from detailed or general soil surveys.
    3. The county’s schedule of modifiers (as approved by the state supervisor of assessments under subsection 9) used to adjust agricultural property assessments within the county.
  • Reenacts subsection 8 with these clarifications and ordering.

Who is affected

  • Local assessors and township boards of equalization — changes procedures and required considerations for parcel valuation.
  • County directors of tax equalization — receive required written evidence when local valuations diverge substantially.
  • Agricultural landowners — potential impact on parcel agricultural valuations and resulting property assessments / taxes.
  • Counties and taxing authorities — could see changes in assessed values and tax base allocations depending on implementation.

Effective date and procedural status

  • Effective date varies across versions submitted during the session; the engrossed version lists effectiveness for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025 (earlier drafts indicated Dec. 31, 2024). (Note: the effective year was revised in amendments during consideration.)
  • Legislative actions (selected):
    • Introduced: December 4, 2024.
    • Adopted by the Agriculture Committee (with proposed amendments): February 6, 2025.
    • Second reading: failed to pass (recorded vote: yeas 2, nays 44) — final disposition: did not advance at second reading.

Practical impact

  • The bill is chiefly procedural/administrative: it does not change agricultural valuation methodology in substance but clarifies the priority of factors assessors must use and formalizes documentation when local values differ from county estimates. If enacted and implemented, it could produce more consistent assessor practices across counties and potentially affect parcel‑level assessed values for some agricultural properties.

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

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