North Dakota Senate Bill SB2073

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/7/25
• Refer: 1/7/25
• Report Pass: 1/13/25
• Engrossed: 1/16/25
• Refer: 2/13/25
• Report Pass: 3/7/25
• Enrolled: 3/14/25
• Passed: 3/18/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend and reenact subdivision xx of subsection 2 of section 12-60-24 and section 54-11-16 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to criminal history record checks by the state treasurer for individuals with access to federal tax information.

Summary

SB 2073 amends North Dakota law governing criminal history record checks for people who work for, apply to work for, or contract with the state treasurer and who have access to federal tax information. The bill expands the covered group in section 54-11-16 to include independent contractors, and it requires those individuals to submit to both statewide and nationwide criminal history record checks. The bill also changes the timing for repeat checks, shortening the recheck interval from every ten years to every five years. The nationwide check must continue to be conducted under the procedures in section 12-60-24, and the related cross-reference in that section is updated to match the treasurer’s authority over applicants and employees with access to federal tax information.

Impact

The bill narrows and clarifies the state treasurer’s screening authority by expressly covering applicants, employees, and independent contractors with access to federal tax information. It amends both the criminal history record check statute and the general background-check cross-reference in the Century Code, affecting hiring, contracting, and ongoing compliance practices within the treasurer’s office. The practical effect is more frequent background screening and broader vetting of personnel with sensitive federal tax data access.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the Senate 47-0 and the House 90-0, with no recorded committee opposition or transcript discussion. The unanimous votes suggest general agreement that the measure is a routine security and compliance update rather than a contested policy change.

Contention

There is little visible contention in the available record. The only substantive policy choices are who is covered—adding independent contractors alongside applicants and employees—and how often rechecks occur, shifting from ten years to five years. Because the bill concerns access to federal tax information and background screening, any potential concerns would likely center on administrative burden, privacy, or contractor compliance, but no opposition is reflected in the votes or available committee materials.