The Senate Floor Session held on January 31, 2025, focused on two significant pieces of legislation aimed at addressing critical issues in North Dakota: housing shortages and foreign language education in schools.

The session commenced with discussions on Senate Bill 2225, which aims to tackle the housing shortage impacting workforce attraction and retention in the state. Senator Erbilie introduced the bill, highlighting its proposed $50 million program designed to provide grants to political subdivisions for building infrastructure necessary to support affordable housing.

Three amendments were proposed to enhance the bill. The first amendment allows funds to be used for the removal of slum and blight from existing lots. The second amendment modifies the language from "city center" to "city limits," expanding the eligibility for a $5 million fund to metropolitan areas within 20 miles of cities with populations exceeding 20,000. The third amendment clarifies that while three entities—political subdivisions, developers, and private community funds—are required to provide matching funds for the grants, they may not need to contribute equally. Following a brief discussion, the proposed amendments were adopted with unanimous support.

The session then moved to Senate Bill 2275, which proposes a pilot program to provide grants to schools for foreign language instruction for students in kindergarten through grade 3. Senator Gearhart presented the bill, which received a unanimous recommendation from the Senate Education Committee. The bill allocates $49,500 for the program, with grants capped at $2,500 per school per year. These funds can be utilized for various program costs, including materials and stipends for educators. The Department of Public Instruction reported that some schools are already offering Spanish or indigenous language instruction to young students.

The session concluded with a focus on these two bills, which aim to enhance housing infrastructure and promote language education in North Dakota, reflecting the Senate's commitment to addressing the needs of its communities. Further discussions and votes on these bills are anticipated in upcoming sessions.