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Term limits bill reconsidered, headed to North Dakota conference committee • North Dakota Monitor [1]

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Date: 2025-04

The North Dakota House on Tuesday reconsidered its actions on a bill that seeks to clarify the start date for legislative term limits.

The House on Monday concurred with Senate amendments to House Bill 1300 but ultimately defeated the legislation. On Tuesday, the House revived the bill and instead rejected the Senate amendments, sending the bill to a conference committee.

North Dakota voters in 2022 approved a ballot measure that limits lawmakers to serving up to eight years in each chamber. It’s caused some confusion related to how it applies to lawmakers in even-numbered districts who were halfway through a term when the measure passed.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, clarified that the clock starts on term limits on Nov. 7, 2022. The impact of that change would mean lawmakers in even-numbered districts elected in 2020 and reelected in 2024 could be eligible to serve up to 10 years in one chamber. Without the change, they’d only be able to serve six years.

The Senate version, however, starts the clock on Jan. 1, 2023. That means lawmakers in odd-numbered districts elected in 2022 could potentially serve up to 12 years in one chamber.

The bill will now head to a conference committee made up of Senate and House members to resolve the differences between the two versions of the bill.

Separately, Senate Resolution 4008 passed both chambers of the Legislature and could be put on the 2026 general election ballot, if approved by the Secretary of State’s Office as a valid resolution. If approved by voters, the resolution would allow lawmakers to serve four terms, up to 16 years, in a single legislative chamber. It also clarifies that a partial term does not count against the limit.

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[1] Url: https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/term-limits-bill-reconsidered-headed-to-north-dakota-conference-committee/

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