Bill
HB 1582
ND study will review North Dakota false reports laws (chapter 12.1-11) and propose recommendations or draft legislation for the next session.
Status
- Introduced: December 11, 2024
- Enacted: Became Act No. 708; filed with Secretary of State April 28, 2025 (signed by Governor).
- Primary authors/sponsors (ND version): Representatives Vetter, Christianson, S. Olson, Schauer, D. Johnston; Senators Clemens, Sickler, Castaneda, Cory.
Purpose / intent
- Directs the Legislative Management of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly to undertake a study during the 2025–26 interim that reviews state laws addressing false accusations or false reports of a crime. The study is intended to evaluate existing statutory provisions and to develop findings and recommendations — including any draft legislation — for the next (seventieth) Legislative Assembly.
Key provisions
- Scope: The study focuses on state law chapter 12.1‑11 of the North Dakota Century Code (the chapter that relates to false accusations / false reports of crime).
- Required input: The Legislative Management must include input from the State's Attorney's Association and defense attorneys in conducting the review.
- Deliverable: The Legislative Management must report findings and recommendations — and any proposed legislation necessary to implement them — to the seventieth Legislative Assembly.
- Nature of the action: The enacted text creates a study requirement only; it does not itself change criminal penalties or create new offenses.
Who would be affected
- Immediate: Legislative Management staff and members assigned to the study; the State’s Attorney’s Association and organized defense counsel (both are specifically named as participants).
- Potential downstream: If the study recommends statutory changes, those changes could affect prosecutors, defense attorneys, accused persons and complainants, law enforcement reporting and investigatory practices, and courts — depending on what reforms are proposed (penalties, procedural safeguards, reporting standards, evidentiary rules, etc.).
- Public impact: The study may lead to legislative proposals that change how false reporting and false-accusation conduct is defined, investigated, prosecuted, or penalized.
Procedural / timeline notes
- Study period: 2025–26 interim (work to take place between legislative sessions).
- Report due: Findings, recommendations and any proposed legislation must be transmitted to the seventieth Legislative Assembly.
- Current effect: Because the act establishes a study, there are no immediate changes to criminal law; any material legal changes would require subsequent legislation based on the study’s recommendations.
Note on documents provided
- The materials supplied included multiple unrelated bills from other states that share the number “HB 1582.” This summary pertains to the North Dakota HB 1582 (study of chapter 12.1‑11 NDCC).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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