25.3106.01000
Sixty-ninth
Legislative Assembly
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives Kasper, Brandenburg, Koppelman, D. Ruby, Kempenich, Motschenbacher
Senator Mathern
A concurrent resolution to amend and reenact sections 7 and 13 of article IV of the Constitution
of North Dakota, relating to sessions of the legislative assembly; and to provide an effective
date.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
This measure would authorize the legislative assembly to meet in a regular session annually or
biennially for a maximum of one hundred days during the biennium and provides these changes
will take effect on January 1, 2027.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF NORTH DAKOTA, THE
SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:
That the following proposed amendments to sections 7 and 13 of article IV of the
Constitution of North Dakota are agreed to and must be submitted to the qualified electors of
North Dakota at the general election to be held in 2026, in accordance with section 16 of
article IV of the Constitution of North Dakota.
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Section 7 of article IV of the Constitution of North Dakota is
amended and reenacted as follows:
Section 7. The terms of members of the legislative assembly begin on the first day of
December following their election.
The legislative assembly shall meet at the seat of government in the month of December
following the election of the members thereof for organizational and orientation purposes as
provided by law and shall thereafter recess until twelve noon on the first Tuesday after the third
day in January or at such other time as may be prescribed by law but not later than the eleventh
day of January.
No regular session of theThe legislative assembly may exceed eighty natural daysmeet
annually or biennially during the biennium for up to one hundred natural days, as determined by
the legislative management. The organizational meeting of the legislative assembly may not be
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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3036
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25 Sixty-ninth
Legislative Assembly
counted as part of those eightyone hundred natural days, nor may days spent in session at the
call of the governor or while engaged in impeachment proceedings, be counted. Days spent in
regular session need not be consecutive, and the legislative assembly may authorize its
committees to meet at any time during the biennium. As used in this section, a "natural day"
means a period of twenty-four consecutive hours.
NeitherA house may not recess nor adjourn for more than three days without consent of the
other house.
SECTION 2. AMENDMENT. Section 13 of article IV of the Constitution of North Dakota is
amended and reenacted as follows:
Section 13. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and a recorded vote on any
question shall be taken at the request of one-sixth of those members present. NoA bill may not
become law except by a recorded vote of a majority of the members elected to each house, and
the lieutenant governor is considered a member-elect of the senate when the lieutenant
governor votes.
NoA law may not be enacted except by a bill passed by both houses, and noa bill may not
be amended on its passage through either house in a manner which changes its general
subject matter. NoA bill may not embrace more than one subject, which must be expressed in
its title; but a law violating this provision is invalid only to the extent the subject is not so
expressed.
Every bill must be read on two separate natural days, and the readings may be by title only
unless a reading at length is demanded by one-fifth of the members present.
NoA bill may not be amended, extended, or incorporated in any other bill by reference to its
title only, except in the case of definitions and procedural provisions.
The presiding officer of each house shall sign all bills passed and resolutions adopted by
the legislative assembly, and the fact of signing shall be entered at once in the journal.
Every law, except as otherwise provided in this section, enacted by the legislative assembly
during its eightyone hundred natural meeting days takes effect on August first after its filing with
the secretary of state, or if filed on or after August first and before January first of the following
year ninety days after its filing, or on a subsequent date if specified in the law unless, by a vote
of two-thirds of the members elected to each house, the legislative assembly declares it an
emergency measure and includes the declaration in the Act. Every appropriation measure for
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support and maintenance of state departments and institutions and every tax measure that
changes tax rates enacted by the legislative assembly take effect on July first after its filing with
the secretary of state or on a subsequent date if specified in the law unless, by a vote of
two-thirds of the members elected to each house, the legislative assembly declares it an
emergency measure and includes the declaration in the Act. An emergency measure takes
effect upon its filing with the secretary of state or on a date specified in the measure. Every law
enacted by a special session of the legislative assembly takes effect on a date specified in the
Act.
The legislative assembly shall enact all laws necessary to carry into effect the provisions of
this constitution. Except as otherwise provided in this constitution, no local or special laws may
be enacted, nor may the legislative assembly indirectly enact special or local laws by the partial
repeal of a general law but laws repealing local or special laws may be enacted.
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. If approved by the electors, this measure becomes
effective on January 1, 2027.
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