Data center nondisclosure bill dies in North Dakota Senate vote

Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, speaks on the Senate floor during a special session of the Legislature on Sept. 3, 2026. Photo by Michael Achterling/ North Dakota Monitor
Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, speaks on the Senate floor during a special session of the Legislature on Sept. 3, 2026. Photo by Michael Achterling/ North Dakota Monitor

North Dakota legislators on Thursday, Sept. 3 rejected a push to ban the use of nondisclosure agreements between government entities and developers of data centers and other industrial projects.

Bill sponsor Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, tried to persuade lawmakers that the bill was needed to preserve trust in government in the face of multi-billion dollar data center development projects that are pop…