---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT to amend and reenact section 16.1-06-09 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to language on voting ballots."
description: "Relating to language on voting ballots."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nd"
legislature: "North Dakota Legislative Assembly"
session: "68"
identifier: "SB 2163"
citation: "North Dakota SB 2163 (68)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dick Dever"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 19
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-01-09"
last_action: "2023-03-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/54f6312e-ca7a-4633-bc68-582285c5813e"
source_url: "https://ndlegis.gov/api/assembly/68-2023/data/bills.json"
source_hash: "8d33dff66e54f556f60683d5ad6c8e1f49ded4bddf18993aa3464d815df823f8"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nd"]
---

# North Dakota SB 2163 (68) — AN ACT to amend and reenact section 16.1-06-09 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to language on voting ballots.

Relating to language on voting ballots.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **INTRODUCED** (filed) — [source](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/68-2023/regular/documents/23-0606-01000.pdf)
2. **Enrollment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/68-2023/regular/documents/23-0606-02000.pdf)

## Votes

- Motion for Final Passage on SB 2163 — **27–20** (pass) · upper
- Motion for Final Passage on SB 2163 — **84–9** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Dick Dever — primary (person)
- Gretchen Dobervich — cosponsor (person)
- Jeffery J. Magrum — cosponsor (person)
- Karen Karls — cosponsor (person)
- Lawrence R. Klemin — cosponsor (person)
- Lisa Meier — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-01-09** Introduced, first reading, referred State and Local Government Committee `introduction`
- **2023-01-19** Committee Hearing 09:00
- **2023-01-19** Committee Hearing 10:56
- **2023-01-20** Committee Hearing 11:15
- **2023-02-10** Committee Hearing 09:15
- **2023-02-10** Reported back, do not pass, placed on calendar 4 2 0 `committee-passage, committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-13** Second reading, passed, yeas 27 nays 20 `passage, reading-2`
- **2023-02-14** Received from Senate
- **2023-02-17** Introduced, first reading, referred Government and Veterans Affairs Committee `introduction`
- **2023-03-03** Committee Hearing 08:30
- **2023-03-10** Committee Hearing 11:20
- **2023-03-10** Reported back, do pass, place on calendar 9 3 1 `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-16** Second reading, passed, yeas 84 nays 9 `passage, reading-2`
- **2023-03-17** Returned to Senate
- **2023-03-20** Signed by Speaker
- **2023-03-21** Signed by President
- **2023-03-21** Sent to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-03-23** Signed by Governor 03/22 `executive-signature`
- **2023-03-24** Filed with Secretary Of State 03/23 `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/54f6312e-ca7a-4633-bc68-582285c5813e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official North Dakota legislature records).