An act to create and enact a new section to chapter 44-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the opportunity to provide public comment at a meeting of a public entity., the official text

Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
SENATE BILL NO. 2180 (Senators Paulson, Luick, Weston) (Representatives Louser, D. Ruby, D. Johnston)
AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 44-04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the opportunity to provide public comment at a meeting of a public entity.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA: SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 44-04 of the North Dakota Century Code is created and
enacted as follows: Public comment - Regular meetings of a public entity. 1. Every regular meeting of a governing body of a city, county, township, school district, park district, or water resource district must include an opportunity for an individual to provide public comment. 2. An individual providing comment at a meeting shall provide to the governing body in writing the individual's name and address. The individual's address is an exempt record. 3. A governing body of a city, county, township, school district, park district, or water resource district: a. May limit a public comment only as follows, except as provided in subdivision b: (1) By time per speaker, total time for public comment, or both. (2) By agenda topic, to the agendas of the current and at least one preceding meeting. b. Shall develop a policy regarding public comment rules for regular meetings. The policy may provide a public comment: (1) Must be pertinent to the public entity. (2) May not interfere with the orderly conduct of the regular meeting. (3) May not be defamatory, abusive, harassing, or unlawful. (4) May be prohibited if an alternative procedure exists to bring that particular type of public comment before the public entity, the public comment includes confidential or exempt information, or the public comment is otherwise prohibited by law.

S. B. NO. 2180 - PAGE 2

____________________________ President of the Senate

____________________________ Speaker of the House

____________________________ Secretary of the Senate

____________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

This certifies that the within bill originated in the Senate of the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as Senate Bill No. 2180.

Senate Vote: House Vote:

Yeas 43 Yeas 93

Nays 4 Nays 0

Absent 0 Absent 1

____________________________ Secretary of the Senate
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