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Committee backs bill requiring a short explanatory sentence in public rule‑hearing notices
Summary
Lawmakers advanced House Bill 1355 after proponents said adding a one‑sentence explanation (and optional QR code) to the abbreviated newspaper notice will increase public awareness of rule hearings. The Attorney General proposed technical language; the committee voted unanimously to advance the bill.
Representative Vicki Steiner (R‑District 37) told the committee House Bill 1355 would add a short explanatory sentence to the abbreviated newspaper notice that announces upcoming administrative rule‑making hearings. “This bill simply adds a sentence of information on the topic of an upcoming public rule change hearing that's being printed in our newspapers,” she said.
Steiner and supporters said the current abbreviated notices typically list only a code reference or a terse title—examples she handed to the committee included lines such as “extended stay center registration” or “temporary assistance for needy families” with no detail on the proposed change. The bill would require a one‑line description of the essence of the hearing; agencies also could include an optional digital QR code or link to the full rules packet and additional information.
The Attorney General’s office offered a friendly amendment to clarify what may appear in the notice and to ensure the provision is flexible, not mandatory. Assistant Attorney General Lisonbee Hicks told the committee the office reviewed how agencies already publish notices and sought consistent language so agencies would not interpret the new requirement as demanding publication of the entire rule packet.
Katie Windbauer of the North Dakota Newspaper Association testified in favor, calling the proposal “a way to increase public access, through the optional QR code.” Liz Bridal of Legislative Council explained the amendment’s drafting and said the change is intended to improve readability of the statute rather than make new substantive requirements beyond the sentence and optional QR code.
Committee action: The committee adopted technical amendments and then voted 6‑0 to give the bill a “do pass” recommendation as amended. Senator Wallin was recorded as carrying the bill out of committee.
Ending note: Proponents said the change should improve public notice and increase engagement in rule hearings by giving readers a short, plain‑language description and an optional digital link to more detail.
