North Dakota lawmakers form interim AI and data-center committee

North Dakota legislative leaders have announced an interim Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee to examine how state policy should respond to AI and data-center development.

Senate Majority Leader David Hogue and Rep. Mike Nathe announced the committee on June 25, 2026. The panel is expected to include legislators and citizen members.

The committee’s stated task is to examine both opportunities and challenges associated with artificial intelligence and data centers, and to assess whether North Dakota’s existing laws and policies are adequate for those issues.

What the committee will examine

The announcement establishes a policy-review process rather than a new regulation or a decision on a specific project. No particular bills or policy proposals were identified in the announcement.

Likewise, the available announcement does not list the committee’s full membership, meeting calendar or eventual recommendations. It does not identify funding for the committee.

Gov. Kelly Armstrong said his administration would support the committee’s work. His statement was issued from Bismarck, where the state legislative process is headquartered.

For residents and businesses, the committee could become a venue for considering how North Dakota addresses the economic and community effects associated with expanding AI infrastructure. But it has not yet adopted regulations, imposed a data-center moratorium or announced final policy conclusions.

Related local technology planning

The state-level review arrives as the City of Bismarck’s 2026 Strategic Plan identifies several municipal technology priorities. The plan calls for an AI ethics policy, staff training and testing of available AI tools.

It also calls for a data-governance policy and expanded use of geographic information systems and electronic services. Those city planning goals are separate from the new legislative committee, but they show that AI use and data governance are already identified as local government planning subjects.

What has been demonstrated so far is the creation of an interim review body and the identification of policy topics for examination. The announcement does not provide evidence of deployed AI systems, measured data-center performance, or outcomes from any future committee recommendations.

The next known step is the committee’s work during the interim period. Details on its meetings, membership, specific proposals and recommendations were not included in the June 25 announcement.