A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact subsection 8 of section 16.1-08.1-02.3 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to candidates maintaining separate campaign accounts.
HB 1157 would amend North Dakota campaign finance law to require candidates to use dedicated, non-interest-bearing campaign accounts that are separate from any personal accounts. The bill is aimed at ensuring accurate reporting and preventing the commingling of campaign and personal funds.
In practical terms, the measure would tighten the handling of campaign money by making the separation of funds explicit in statute. It would affect candidates for public office and the campaign accounts they maintain under North Dakota Century Code section 16.1-08.1-02.3.
The bill would revise subsection 8 of section 16.1-08.1-02.3 of the North Dakota Century Code to clarify that campaign accounts must be dedicated, non-interest-bearing, and separate from personal accounts. This would reinforce existing campaign finance compliance expectations and could affect how candidates, treasurers, and political committees manage deposits, withdrawals, and reporting of campaign funds.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote details, so there is no documented debate or split sentiment to assess. The bill ultimately failed on January 17, 2025, which indicates it did not advance, but the reason for that outcome is not reflected in the provided materials.
Because no committee discussion or vote breakdown is available, specific points of contention are not documented in the record provided. Based on the text alone, any disagreement would likely have centered on whether the statute needed additional specificity or whether the proposed account restrictions were unnecessary or burdensome for candidates.