Bill > HB1204

This bill amends North Dakota law to strengthen regulations around publishing false information in political advertisements. The legislation expands the existing prohibition on false political communications by clarifying that it is a class A misdemeanor to knowingly or recklessly publish untrue, deceptive, or misleading statements about candidates, ballot measures, or other electoral issues across a wide range of media platforms, including traditional channels like radio, television, and newspapers, as well as emerging communication methods such as text messages, social media, websites, and electronic transmissions. The bill specifies that a person can be criminally charged for such false statements if they are made either in support of or in opposition to a candidate or ballot issue. Importantly, the law includes a provision that exempts news organizations and commercial media outlets from liability if they are not the original source of the false political advertisement. The goal of this legislation appears to be combating misinformation during election campaigns by creating legal consequences for deliberately spreading false political claims.

Government Affairs

https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo1204.html