Committee hears bill to replace ‘complaint’ process and change North Dakota Ethics Commission enforcement

A House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on House Bill 1360 focused on changes to how the North Dakota Ethics Commission (NDEC) would handle allegations of ethics violations, including replacing the current complaint-driven system with a formal “enforcement process.”

Representative Josh Christie introduced the measure and said the bill “aims to refine and enhance the enforcement process of the North Dakota Ethics Commission by amending multiple sections of the North Dakota Century Code and repealing certain outdated provisions.” Rebecca Vinstak, the commission’s executive director, told the committee the proposal came from five years of data and would emphasize education, streamline steps and protect due process.

“The enforcement process serves four main goals,” Vinstak said. “First, the new enforcement process will address concerns brought to the commission through education first, instead of having a punitive ‘gotcha’ effect. Second, the enforcement process reduces red tape. Third, the enforcement process will bolster due process by allowing more opportunities for a respondent to interact with the five commissioners and defend him or herself publicly. Fourth,…