AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 54-12-24 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the director of the state crime laboratory.
Summary
SB 2050 makes a narrow administrative change to North Dakota law governing the state crime laboratory within the Office of the Attorney General. The bill amends section 54-12-24 to clarify that the state crime laboratory is a division of the attorney general’s office, consisting of a director, the state toxicologist, and other personnel appointed by the attorney general. It also preserves the laboratory’s authority to establish and charge fees for services rendered.
The bill further states that the state crime laboratory must be administratively separated from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. It confirms that the director serves at the pleasure of the attorney general and is paid a salary set by the attorney general within legislative appropriation limits. Overall, the measure appears to be a housekeeping or organizational update rather than a substantive policy change.
Impact
SB 2050 updates the North Dakota Century Code provision governing the structure and administration of the state crime laboratory. Its main legal effect is to reaffirm the laboratory’s placement within the Attorney General’s office while preserving its administrative separation from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The bill also maintains existing authority for the laboratory to charge fees and for the attorney general to set the director’s salary within appropriated limits, affecting the internal governance of the Attorney General’s criminal justice operations and the laboratory’s service recipients.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received favorably and without controversy. It passed the Senate unanimously and the House by a strong margin, indicating broad bipartisan support. The lack of committee transcript discussion suggests it was viewed as a routine administrative measure with little debate.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention around SB 2050. The only notable point reflected in the text is the structural relationship between the state crime laboratory and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which the bill expressly keeps administratively separate. Beyond that, the bill’s provisions on fees, staffing, and the director’s appointment and salary authority appear to have been uncontroversial, as shown by the strong vote totals in both chambers.
AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 54-10-14, subsection 1 of section 54-10-15, and sections 61-35-09 and 61-35-10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to oversight of water districts.
AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 61-39-03 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the board of directors of the Lake Agassiz water authority.