Attorney General Drew H. Wrigley | North Dakota Attorney General's Office
Attorney General Drew H. Wrigley | North Dakota Attorney General's Office
On September 10, 2025, the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office released an opinion regarding the status of the Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center under state open meetings laws. The opinion was issued in response to questions about whether the hospital is considered a public entity and if it violated open meetings requirements by not allowing public access to two specific meetings.
According to the Attorney General’s Opinion 2025-O-12, “The Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center is a ‘public entity’ subject to the open meetings laws to the extent it is supported by or expends public funds.” The opinion further states, “The Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center did not violate the open meetings laws by refusing public access to its May 31, 2022, and June 28, 2022, meetings because the meetings did not relate to public funds.”
This decision clarifies that entities like Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center are only required to comply with open meeting statutes when their activities involve public funding. The full text of this opinion can be accessed online at https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/sites/ag/files/documents/Opinions/2025/OAG-2025-O-12.pdf.
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