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NDVMA’s Legislative Committee is your exclusive advocate at the state level serving as the voice of the veterinary community in North Dakota. With the guidance and direction of our lobbyist, committee members monitor, support, and oppose legislation that impacts North Dakota's veterinary community and profession.
There are several ways to make your concerns known to your legislators. E-mail, call, or write your legislators; testify at the legislature, or talk to your legislators during their visits home.
The AVMA represents the interests of veterinarians through strategically targeted advocacy in Congress, with regulatory agencies, and before the courts. The AVMA works as a trusted partner to complement the advocacy work of NDVMA.
On December 12, 2023 the House passed the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (SUPPORT Act), which contains key components of the AVMA-endorsed Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. The language within the SUPPORT Act would schedule xylazine as a Schedule III drug while exempting from scheduling the FDA-approved animal drug, which means, if enacted, veterinarians would be able to use it as they always have under federal law. Now the SUPPORT Act will move to the Senate; however, the AVMA does anticipate pushback to the House version by those who want to see greater controls placed on the FDA-approved product. The AVMA is committed to continuing its work with lawmakers and committee staff toward a federal solution to address this emerging public health threat while maintaining the access veterinarians need to xylazine.
North Dakota’s legislature meets biennially in odd-numbered years. Under North Dakota’s Constitution, the Legislative Assembly may meet for up to 80 days during the biennium.
There are several ways to make your concerns known to your legislators. E-mail, call, or write your legislators; testify at the legislature, or talk to your legislators during their visits home.
All citizens have the right to testify before the North Dakota Legislative Assembly on any bill or resolution.
North Dakota has one of the most open legislatures in the nation. Every bill must have a public hearing, must be publicly voted upon by the committee, and then must come before the full House or Senate for still another public vote. Your opportunity to testify on a bill comes at the committee hearing.
Lists of the legislative committees, committee members, and the days and places committees meet are available online at https://www.ndlegis.gov and on screens in the Capitol.