AN ACT to amend and reenact subdivision b of subsection 1 of section 28-32-10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the required abbreviated notice for administrative rulemaking.
HB 1355 amends North Dakota’s administrative rulemaking notice requirements by updating the content and format of the abbreviated newspaper notice that agencies and commissions must publish when proposing rules. The bill keeps the requirement that notice be published at least once in each official county newspaper, but clarifies that the notice must be presented in a display-type format with specified minimum dimensions and a headline describing the general topic of the proposed rules.
The bill also specifies the information that must be included in the abbreviated notice: where to obtain a copy of the proposed rules, whether any emergency rules are in effect and their effective date, where and by when written comments may be submitted, and the location, date, and time of any public hearing. It further allows, but does not require, the notice to include a QR code linking to the full notice or additional information.
HB 1355 affects North Dakota Century Code section 28-32-10, which governs administrative rulemaking notice procedures. It does not change the substantive authority of agencies to adopt rules, but it refines the public notice process by standardizing the abbreviated newspaper notice and adding flexibility for digital access through optional QR codes. The practical impact is on state agencies and commissions that publish rule notices, as well as members of the public who rely on newspaper notices to learn about proposed administrative rules and participate in the comment process.
The bill appears to have been broadly noncontroversial and received unanimous support in both chambers, passing the House 91-0 and the Senate 46-0. The lack of recorded committee testimony or floor debate in the provided materials suggests general agreement that the measure is a procedural update rather than a substantive policy change. Overall sentiment was favorable and cooperative.
No notable opposition is reflected in the available record. Because the bill deals with notice formatting and information disclosure for administrative rules, any potential concerns would likely center on administrative burden, publication costs, or the adequacy of newspaper notice versus digital access, but none of those issues appear to have been raised in the provided transcripts or votes. The unanimous votes indicate that any such concerns were either minimal or resolved without controversy.