North Dakota has a comparable law related to the expenditure of public funds. Contractors on all construction projects using public funds must be registered with the Secretary of State. This law is not new, having been on the books for years. And it DOES NOT limit us to "local" contractors, it simply means we have to remind potential bidders to register, which is a cheap and simple process. We also have a comparable law requiring registration of insurance agents in the state if they want to bid on museum collections insurance. I doubt this is unusual in the area of public funds, and I don't see how registration of one's business is inherently awful. It's just part of doing business. Chris Dill - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C. L. Dill, Museum Director State Historical Society of North Dakota 612 East Boulevard Bismarck ND 58505-0830 P: (701)328-2666 F: (701)328-3710 E: [log in to unmask] Visit our Web site at: http://www.state.nd.us/hist/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -