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.
Summary
HB 1554 amends the membership and operating rules for the North Dakota outdoor heritage advisory board. The bill keeps the board at 12 voting members, but specifies the appointing structure more clearly: four members from agriculture, two from the energy industry, four from the conservation community, one from the business community, and one from the recreation and park association. It also continues to provide for five ex officio, nonvoting technical members from state agencies and related entities.
The bill also restates board governance provisions, including four-year terms, a two-consecutive-term limit, quorum requirements, meeting requirements, and the process for calling special meetings. It preserves the rule that the board may only forward grant applications to the commission if the application supports the chapter’s purposes and receives a favorable majority vote from members present at a quorum meeting. The bill declares an emergency, meaning it takes effect immediately upon passage rather than waiting for the normal effective date.
Impact
HB 1554 updates section 54-17.8-06 of the North Dakota Century Code governing the outdoor heritage advisory board. Its main legal effect is to clarify and reaffirm the board’s composition, appointment process, and procedural rules for reviewing and forwarding grant applications tied to outdoor heritage funding. It affects the governor’s appointment authority, the participating stakeholder organizations, and the advisory board’s role in the state’s outdoor heritage grant process.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible controversy. It passed the House and Senate with large margins, and the recorded votes show only a small number of dissenting members. The emergency clause also suggests legislative interest in making the changes effective quickly, likely to avoid any gap or uncertainty in board operations.
Contention
No committee testimony or detailed floor debate is provided, so specific objections are not documented in the available record. The only likely points of contention would be the balance of representation on the board—particularly the allocation of seats among agriculture, energy, conservation, business, and recreation interests—and the governor’s appointment power, including the provision that appointees serve at the governor’s pleasure. The narrow dissent in both chambers suggests any disagreement was limited rather than organized opposition.