AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-11-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the preservation of records by county superintendents of schools.
Summary
HB 1133 makes a narrow, technical change to North Dakota law governing county superintendents of schools. It amends section 15.1-11-05 of the Century Code to clarify that the superintendent must preserve records and property acquired in an official capacity that have educational value or that document official acts, and must transfer those records to a successor when leaving office.
The bill appears to be a housekeeping measure aimed at improving clarity in the statute rather than changing policy in a substantive way. The language updates the wording around what must be preserved and transferred, but it does not create new duties beyond maintaining and passing along official records.
Impact
The bill affects North Dakota Century Code section 15.1-11-05 and applies to county superintendents of schools. Its practical impact is to reinforce record-retention obligations for school administration offices, ensuring that historically or administratively important materials remain with the office and are handed off to the next superintendent. It may also help standardize how official records and property are treated at the end of a superintendent’s term.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received very favorably and without controversy. It passed the House overwhelmingly, 85-3, and the Senate unanimously, 47-0, suggesting broad bipartisan support and little disagreement about the need for the clarification. The absence of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was treated as routine and noncontroversial.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention around HB 1133. The only notable point is that the bill makes a wording change to the record-preservation statute, which may have been intended to clarify the scope of records and property covered. However, the strong vote margins indicate no significant opposition to the change, and no specific stakeholder concerns are reflected in the available materials.
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-11-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the preservation of records by county superintendents of schools.
AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 15.1-12-02 and 15.1-12-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to annexation of property to a school district; and to declare an emergency.