An act to amend and reenact section 16.1-10-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the publication of false information in political advertisements; and to provide a penalty., the official text

Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
HOUSE BILL NO. 1204 (Representatives Schatz, Dressler, Fisher, Frelich, Meier, Toman)
(Senators Luick, Van Oosting)
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 16.1-10-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the publication of false information in political advertisements; and to provide a penalty.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA: SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Section 16.1-10-04 of the North Dakota Century Code is amended and
reenacted as follows: 16.1-10-04. Publication of false information in political advertisements - Penalty. 1. A person is guilty of a class A misdemeanor if thatthe person knowingly, or with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity, publishes anya political advertisement or news release that contains anycontaining an assertion, representation, or statement of fact, including information concerning a candidate's prior public record, which is untrue, deceptive, or misleading, whether on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office, initiated measure, referred measure, constitutional amendment, or any other issue, question, or proposal on an election ballot, and whether the publicationwhich is published by radio, television, newspaper, text message, telephone call, pamphlet, folder, display cards, signs, posters, billboard advertisements, websites, electronic transmission, social media, or by any other public means or commercial medium. 2. This section does not apply to a newspaper, television or radio station, or other commercial medium that is not the source of the political advertisement or news release.

H. B. NO. 1204 - PAGE 2

____________________________ Speaker of the House

____________________________ President of the Senate

____________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

____________________________ Secretary of the Senate

This certifies that the within bill originated in the House of Representatives of the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as House Bill No. 1204.

House Vote: Senate Vote:

Yeas 77 Yeas 45

Nays 14 Nays 1

Absent 3 Absent 1

____________________________ Chief Clerk of the House
Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025. Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.

____________________________ Governor
Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025, at ________ o’clock ________M.

____________________________ Secretary of State