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Archives - State Agencies - Legislative Council

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
[Authorized: NDCC Chapter 54-35]

The Legislative Council was created in 1945 as the Legislative Research Committee.  In 1969, the name was changed to the Legislative Council. In 2009 the name was changed to Legislative Management. The staff of attorneys, fiscal analysts, information technology support, and library personnel retain the name Legislative Council.

Legislative Management consists of 17 legislators - the majority and minority leaders from both chambers, the Speaker of the House and six senators and six representatives elected biennially before the close of a regular legislative session.  The House majority leader appoints four members elected by the majority party in the House, while the minority leader appoints four members elected by the minority party. Legislative Management elects a chairman from its membership.

At the end of each legislative session, a newly appointed Legislative Management meets to determine upcoming interim studies and committee memberships.  Legislators serve on one or more interim study committees. Several interim committees, such as the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, Administrative Rules, Budget Section, Employee Benefits Programs, Energy Development and Transmission, Higher Education, Information Technology, Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review, Legislative Ethics, Tribal and State Relations, Water-Related Topics Overview, and Workers' Compensation, are statutorily established or perform duties imposed by state law.

Between sessions, the interim study committees hold hearings, take testimony, and review information provided by Legislative Council staff, state agencies, and interested parties as they consider alternative approaches to issues raised.  The November preceding a legislative session, interim committees submit results of their work to the Legislative Council.  As the need arises, the Legislative Management Chairman can assign additional studies during the interim.  The Legislative Council is, in a sense, the Legislative Assembly working between the sessions.

In addition to conducting studies, the council through its staff provides a wide range of service to legislators, other state agencies, and the public. The council supervises the publication of the Session Laws, the North Dakota Century Code, and the North Dakota Administrative Code; handles the financial administration of the legislative branch; develops and provides computer services for the Legislative Assembly; considers problems of statewide significance that surface during an interim; and represents the Legislative Assembly on interstate organizations, such as the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the Midwestern Legislative Conference, the Five-State Legislative Conference, and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

Attorneys on the staff provide legal advice on legislative matters to legislators and legislative committees. The council has on its staff the Legislative Budget Analyst and Auditor who, with assistance of a fiscal staff, provides technical expertise to budget and appropriations committees and who reviews audit reports for the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee. Interim committees allow members to keep up with rapidly changing developments in complex fields. The Budget Section receives the Governor's Executive Budget prior to the legislative session. The Administrative Rules Committeee monitors executive branch rules.

RECORD SERIES
30335 Senate and House Standing Committee Minutes.
30336 Interim Committee Minutes.
30337 Proceedings of Interim Committee Hearings.
30338 Senate and House Committee Hearing Schedules.
30339 Committee Reports.
30340 Legislative Status Reports.
30341 Correspondence.
30342 Petitions and Resolutions.
30343  Drawings of the Great Seal of North Dakota.
30524 Regional Environmental Assessment Program (REAP) Scrapbooks.
30583 Records of the Investigation of the State Insurance Commissioner.
30618 Introduced Senate Bills and Resolutions.
30619 Introduced House Bills and Resolutions.
30620 Senate and House Legislative Calendars.
30684 Citizen's Informational Committee on Constitutional Revision Records.
30692 Record of House and Senate Bills Received.
30779 North Dakota State Constitution, 1889. (Photocopy.)
30862 North Dakota Citizen's Committee on the Proposed Judicial Article Minutes.
30870 Senate Special Committee Report on the Bank of North Dakota.
30872 Transcripts of Investigations.
30879 Proceedings of Standing Committee Hearings. Audiocassette tapes.
31423 Oaths, 1965.
31479 Regional Environmental Assessment Program (REAP) Contract Files.
31504  Introduced Council Bills, 1889.
31549 Justice Records Advisory Committee minutes.
31605 Budget Request Books.
31697 Reports of the Federal Court Monitor.
31730 Senate and House Bill Analysis Reports.
31731 House & Senate Intern Reports.
31784 Miscellaneous State Agency Committee Council Files, 1988-1989.
31785 State Bar Association Judicial Improvement Committee Files, 1966-1969.
31859 Regional Environmental Assessment Program Maps.
31969 Constitutional Convention Files.
31970 Fort Union Regional Task Force and Coal Conference File.
31987 Health Surveys of North Dakota Counties, 1998.
32355 Capitol Office Space Questionnaire, 1957.

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