What will this bill do?

• Prohibits a government entity from requiring an employee to:

  • Use an individual's preferred pronoun when addressing or mentioning the individual in work-related communications

  • Designate the employee's preferred pronoun in work-related communications.

    • A violation of this section is a discriminatory practice.

• Prohibits school boards, public schools, or public school teachers from:

  • Adopting a policy or practice regarding expressed gender

  • Providing or authorizing classroom instruction recognizing expressed gender

  • Providing or requiring professional development recognizing expressed gender.

  • Protects teachers from being required to use a student’s preferred pronoun when referring to the student if it is inconsistent with the student’s sex

  When required by federal law, a board of a school district, a public school, or a teacher in a public school may adopt a policy concerning a specific student's expressed gender or preferred pronoun if the policy is made in consultation with, and with the approval of, the student's parents or guardians.

  
  Read the bill.
  

Why is this bill needed?

• The transgender movement has infiltrated every area of society and in every institution, including schools. There is no logical argument or medical evidence to support gender ideology, and as such, activists have had to resort to authoritarian means and bully tactics like compelled speech to inject their religion into policy. Two examples:

  • A section in the revised Fairfax County Public Schools “Student Rights and Responsibilities” draft handbook would punish students with suspension for “misgendering” a classmate.

  • In Wisconsin, a school district reportedly filed a Title IX complaint against three middle school boys, accusing them of “sexual harassment” for using the wrong pronouns.

• The Supreme Court has recognized that the government may not compel a speaker to affirm a belief with which the speaker disagrees. The state of North Dakota should clearly assert this foundational principle of free speech in order to protect government employees from being compelled to violate their religious beliefs or opinions.

What is the current status of this bill?

SB 2231 passed both chambers but was vetoed by Governor Burgum. On March 30th, the Senate voted in favor of overriding the veto, but the House failed to do the same on April 3rd. Fortunately, the Senate was prepared and added language from SB 2231 to HB 1522 which was passed on the Senate floor. The new amendments will need to be approved by the original committee chair before it heads to the governor’s desk. If amendments are not approved, HB 1522 will go to a conference committee for further consideration.