AN ACT to amend and reenact section 1-01-49, subdivision g of subsection 1 of section 12.1-32-15, subdivision b of subsection 1 of section 14-07.6-01, section 18-01-36, subdivision j of subsection 4 of section 27-20.3-16, subsection 19 of section 45-13-01, subsection 7 of section 49-02-02, section 52-02-18, subsection 5 of section 54-10-28, section 54-52.6-02.2, subsection 3 of section 57-02-08.8, subsection 2 of section 57-38-30.3, and subsection 1 of section 57-40.5-03 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to technical corrections and improper, inaccurate, redundant, missing, or obsolete references; to repeal sections 1-01-18, 1-01-20, 1-01-21, 1-01-27, 1-01-29, 1-01-30, 1-01-36, 1-01-40, 1-01-41, 1-01-42, 1-01-45, 1-01-46, 1-01-47, and 1-01-51 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to technical corrections and improper, inaccurate, redundant, missing, or obsolete references; and to provide an effective date.
HB 1031 is primarily a technical corrections bill that updates and cleans up multiple provisions of the North Dakota Century Code. It amends a broad set of statutes to fix improper, inaccurate, redundant, missing, or obsolete references, and it repeals several outdated general-definition provisions in chapter 1-01. The bill also makes targeted wording changes in areas such as criminal law, domestic violence, child welfare, utility regulation, state auditing, retirement administration, tax law, and property tax exemptions.
Several of the changes are substantive in effect even though the bill is framed as technical cleanup. It revises the general definitions section to add or clarify terms such as “person,” “sex,” “male,” and “female,” including express exclusions for environmental elements, artificial intelligence, animals, and inanimate objects in the definition of “person.” It also updates the definition of “sexual offender,” adjusts references in domestic violence and permanency hearing statutes, and modifies provisions governing Job Service North Dakota audits, information technology compliance reporting, and the Public Employees Retirement System defined contribution election process for certain state employees. In the tax area, it adds or clarifies deductions and exemptions for disabled veterans, organ donation expenses, military pay, retired military benefits, social security benefits, retired law enforcement benefits, and other income adjustments.
The bill’s impact on state law is wide-ranging because it touches multiple titles of the Century Code, but its main legal effect is to modernize cross-references and remove obsolete language while preserving current policy structure. The retirement section creates a limited election window for eligible state employees to move from the PERS main plan to the defined contribution plan, with an associated employer contribution and actuarial transfer rules. The tax provisions apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024, and the bill’s effective-date structure indicates that most changes are intended to take effect immediately upon enactment, with the income-tax changes delayed until the next tax year.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. It passed the House 91-0 and the Senate 47-0, with no recorded dissenting votes, and there is no committee transcript indicating opposition or extended debate. The unanimous votes suggest broad agreement that the bill was a housekeeping measure with some policy updates that were acceptable to both chambers.
There is little visible contention in the available record, but the most likely areas for scrutiny are the definitional changes in section 1-01-49 and the retirement election provisions. The new definitions of “person,” “sex,” “male,” and “female” could be viewed as policy-significant because they may affect interpretation across the code, even though the bill is labeled technical. The PERS transfer option and additional employer contribution could also raise fiscal or workforce-policy questions, but no opposition is reflected in the vote record or available discussion.
HB 1031 amends numerous sections of the North Dakota Century Code across criminal law, family law, utilities, state auditing, retirement, taxation, and property tax exemptions, while repealing several obsolete general-definition provisions. Its most notable legal effects are the revised statewide definitions in chapter 1-01, the updated definition of sexual offender, the retirement-plan election option for certain state employees, and expanded or clarified income-tax deductions and exemptions effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024. The bill primarily updates statutory references and terminology, but it also changes how some provisions will be interpreted and administered by state agencies, local officials, and taxpayers.
The bill appears to have been received as a routine cleanup and update measure, with broad bipartisan support and no recorded opposition. It passed both chambers unanimously, and there is no committee transcript showing controversy or divided testimony. The vote history suggests the Legislature viewed the bill as largely technical, even though it includes some policy-relevant definitional and tax changes.
No explicit contention is documented in the available materials, but the most potentially disputed provisions are the new general definitions of “person,” “sex,” “male,” and “female,” which may affect interpretation beyond the technical-cleanup label. The retirement transfer election for eligible state employees and the associated employer contribution could also draw attention because of fiscal and workforce implications. In addition, the tax deductions for military retirees, social security recipients, organ donors, and retired law enforcement personnel may be of interest to affected constituencies, though the unanimous votes indicate these issues did not generate recorded opposition in this bill's consideration.