Summary#

HCR-3033 is a concurrent resolution, not a law creating personal legislative staff or changing an existing law. It directs the Legislative Management to consider studying the impact and benefits of personal staff for legislators, including a review of other states. Its stated goal is to help legislators work effectively and efficiently, especially as term limits bring legislative turnover.

• If adopted, the resolution would ask the Legislative Management to consider a study; it would not require the Legislative Assembly to hire personal staff.
• The proposed study would include reviewing states that allow legislators to hire personal staff.
• The resolution calls for findings, recommendations and any legislation needed to carry them out to be reported to the Seventieth Legislative Assembly.
• The House has passed the resolution, but the supplied status does not show Senate passage. It is not yet an adopted concurrent resolution.

What it means for you#

• Legislators: No new staff, hiring process or staffing entitlement is created by this resolution. It asks for consideration of a study about possible personal staff.
• Public and taxpayers: The resolution does not directly change public services, taxes or fees. Whether legislators would later have personal staff would depend on future recommendations and any legislation.

Money#

No cost information is in the available material.

• The resolution does not authorize funding or require staff to be hired.
• It does not estimate the cost of a study or of any future personal legislative staff.

What is unclear#

• Whether the Legislative Management will undertake the study, since the resolution says to “consider studying.”
• What a study would cost, who would conduct it, and what methods it would use.
• What roles, number of staff, hiring rules or eligibility would apply if personal staff were later proposed.
• Whether any future staffing proposal would require separate legislation or funding, and what that would cost.

Case for#

• The resolution identifies legislative turnover from term limits as a reason to examine what support legislators may need.
• A study could compare states that allow personal legislative staff before North Dakota decides whether to make any change.
• The resolution asks for recommendations and any legislation needed, rather than establishing a staffing system without those steps.

Case against#

• The resolution does not require the study to happen; it only directs the Legislative Management to consider one.
• It does not require the study to estimate the cost of staff or set standards for their number, roles or hiring.
• If recommendations are made, the resolution itself does not say how they would be funded or what oversight would apply.