[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6357696,"mediaKeyId","2213788-e58dfb7488ef6ba6cf2802e6e0c2162e","parentId",2213788,"title","Committee roundup: House Ag committee amends and advances several bills, hears two hearings","audioSeconds",2617,"startMs",9744000,"endMs",12361000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213788-e58dfb7488ef6ba6cf2802e6e0c2162e&start=9744&end=12361","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213788-e58dfb7488ef6ba6cf2802e6e0c2162e/thumbnail_9744000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6357696/North-Dakota/Committee-roundup-House-Ag-committee-amends-and-advances-several-bills-hears-two-hearings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357696-9d761780767b2dfd7b98596e0d0add34/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191748&Signature=aCT9MMRJrwhhDCbwaSoZgRO9IVw~g1MSZ033tzcD98WO2Wyz9Z4dhP8Tl9rpggFWkijGvCCfY0FUETuzlvHKPgK1JEFZtTm1htZ0aeIs4G2CfOAhKXC3V~Zr69FBvYG-2vGUV0Its5-X0I7dn4znv-IutIQsPDtHq9Lyx5YuDldMpfYObMJGve708kXXy0qKiEtVTvHtfvdtie444hlwnrLgEyLImxDHsOfkQt9sK~Tg6-alKXj925D5EoOYYJzyeCpK-WxoDXDaE6ggv-rtQXs~NYakjJf4nAczpJ~0MJZMTmoPBKlj~3EmrrdJH83AzbE1jAVA1yTBFtp20jUU-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Agriculture, ND","date","2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","article","The House Agriculture Committee handled multiple items beyond the two hearings on drainage notification (HB 1544) and a spay-and-neuter grant program (HB 1538).

Votes and committee actions taken during the session included:
- Amendment to House Bill 1143 (Great Plains Food Bank) to reduce the requested appropriation from $10,000,000 to $5,000,000 — the committee adopted the amendment in committee.
- The committee then gave HB 1143 a due-pass recommendation as amended (bill will move forward as amended).
- House Bill 1207 (beef commission elections) was taken up; the committee considered the bill and deferred further action during floor business; the bill was discussed but not finally acted on in the morning session.
- House Bill 1280 (drain districts) received a due-pass recommendation.
- House Bill 1396 (related drain-district language) received a do-not-pass recommendation in committee.

The committee recorded motions, amendments and roll calls during business; committee leadership said additional committee work would resume after floor session to finish pending items. The committee did not take votes on HB 1544 or HB 1538 during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Agriculture Jan 31, 2025\t","oneSentenceSummary","The House Agriculture Committee handled several floor and committee items after hearing HB 1544 and HB 1538: it amended HB 1143 (Great Plains Food Bank) and advanced it as amended, gave HB 1280 a due-pass recommendation, and issued a do-not-pass recommendation on HB 1396.","taxTitle","Agriculture, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28885,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6357702,"House Ag committee hears bill to fund spay-and-neuter grants from existing environment and rangeland fund",375,6035000,6410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213788-e58dfb7488ef6ba6cf2802e6e0c2162e&start=6035&end=6410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213788-e58dfb7488ef6ba6cf2802e6e0c2162e/thumbnail_6035000.jpg","/articles/6357702/North-Dakota/House-Ag-committee-hears-bill-to-fund-spay-and-neuter-grants-from-existing-environment-and-rangeland-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357702-91bfb869f171cd8598a91cbcc3c1981f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191748&Signature=NfTWkv9yjGaMQSExEm0qCEilSYXS-EasJqlmHFgeKvp0zOmTE87k1pJqM6-p-f37gi2lzeKLD-WMadFGD05yz6InWyOh-PK~ho3XAoMK6z1Mgx53eIQiMhfmtC7Hm7z03EYOUnRbFRqA5a0uMNee6jJoCTodmbd5aRRvfeN1EE6LRYBBBq1FH~OUYmaSOtvV5WNzQUVxgSPm5RaHyRBY-B~ui1ZrdVBtnZKlvz2hmp9VoHtlcuzTD~Mvbu3Z0dH4NnNJhYCIVysrBRw2aWnFF0nc1-cocHEPN-yBLtLNhimI-j78nGbMYR-726vXAMzhf9nwnVNXblU1KWBH0FjguA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Anna Novak presented House Bill 1538 to the House Agriculture Committee, proposing a one-time spay-and-neuter awareness grant program administered by the Department of Agriculture. The bill would make a $1 million appropriation from an existing Environment and Rangeland Protection Fund to provide 1:1 matching grants for shelters, foster programs and potentially individuals to pay for sterilization of companion animals.

Novak said she brought the bill at the request of citizens and after discussion with the Agriculture Commissioner; the sponsor emphasized that the program uses an existing fund rather than creating a new appropriation. \"We have a real crisis on our hands right now with overpopulation of animals in North Dakota,\" Novak told the committee.

Multiple rescues, shelter leaders and volunteers testified in support. Heidi Riddle and Lacey Inger described chronically full shelters, overwhelmed volunteer networks and high intake of kittens and puppies; Riddle cited a national estimate that nearly 10,000 animals were in North Dakota shelters and described frequent calls for help and rising volunteer costs. Lacey Inger testified about large feral and farm-cat colonies, described high kitten mortality from respiratory illness and urged spay/neuter programs to prevent further suffering.

Shelters and rescue representatives offered operational details and cost estimates. Keith Bedding, founder of Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue, said rural spay/neuter prices in North Dakota typically run higher than national suburban averages, and he estimated the bill could cover approximately 625 sterilizations (the group’s cost estimates vary by species and procedure). Camille Skager of Central Dakota Humane Society described an existing SNAP coupon program that issues modest coupons (for example, $150) to pet owners and suggested the proposed funding could be distributed through a similar coupon or voucher mechanism to low-income residents and shelters.

Committee members asked practical questions about eligibility (shelters, foster homes, individuals), whether tribal and reservation communities were included, and the proposed source of funds. Novak said the Department of Agriculture would oversee the program and that the proposal was intentionally structured as a one-time appropriation; she said the commissioner suggested using the Environment and Rangeland Protection Fund to avoid creating a new recurring line item. Representative Hauck noted the fund currently contains a multi-million-dollar balance and asked whether shifting $1 million would create gaps in other programs; Novak and supporters said the sponsor and the commissioner believed the fund balance could support the appropriation as structured.

No committee vote was taken on HB 1538 during the hearing. Sponsors and witnesses said they were open to clarifying eligibility language to prioritize low-income owners, shelters and veterans and to design vouchers so the funds reach animals before they enter shelter systems.","Representative Anna Novak introduced HB1538 to create a one-time spay-and-neuter awareness grant program overseen by the Department of Agriculture; supporters—shelter directors and rescue volunteers—testified that the state’s shelters are overcapacity and that targeted vouchers or grants could reduce stray populations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6357707,"House Ag panel hears testimony on drainage-notice bill after downstream landowners describe crop and property damage",5132,392000,5524000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213788-e58dfb7488ef6ba6cf2802e6e0c2162e&start=392&end=5524","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213788-e58dfb7488ef6ba6cf2802e6e0c2162e/thumbnail_392000.jpg","/articles/6357707/North-Dakota/House-Ag-panel-hears-testimony-on-drainage-notice-bill-after-downstream-landowners-describe-crop-and-property-damage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357707-8811c6616f67c23b6b25038c5cf101e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191748&Signature=ElayhPC420qdw6p3rSzsY04shza2ZfmP6dnnMakauGoH7OvxrfhzM5Em2LAg4H-kMAVZ9pdrXBOTs1CBMGKYGPxertZR3pnbq4oU~D9FYNHe6-QmivQW4Ff8uTFaef0KUWpDr1-P9fXgmvAm5qCePwMFygl-oP4ljPNSO2umprFZa~eHRwWJwaJktXaLKVdqjlacmT7LL47BXrlGNwxM5TJ9VziX94UyXftW2LqXqmTvgn6~CPyc6c-8c7bPt6gibznkExgKeg0FNzY3KttFt1sWzk2RIFHnHjTPtpLB7x6Zjlztbtd3gA-usMCotIDDNGYOCw~jWf6y3XbAtljU4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Agriculture Committee on Monday heard extended testimony on House Bill 1544, a measure that would require landowners who install drainage systems of 80 acres or less that discharge onto neighboring property to notify downstream landowners and, if objections are raised, submit to the regular permitting process.

Supporters told the committee that current law allows upstream landowners to tile and pump water onto neighbors’ land without meaningful prior notice, sometimes causing lost hay, reduced pasture productivity and surface salinization. Rory Gable of Valley City described repeated, year-round discharge from a neighbor’s tile pump that he said has rendered hay ground too wet to harvest and forced him to buy replacement feed. \"Since the pump was turned on, the water has been continuously flowing onto our property even through this winter,\" Gable said.

Gable and other supporters urged adding a mediation step, similar to language in Senate Bill 2283, so disputes could be addressed before litigation. An online witness identified as Sam, testifying on behalf of DRC, described a notification-plus-mitigation sequence: notify the local water board, mail notice to downstream landowners, allow a response period (Senate draft uses 30 days; HB 1544 uses 60), then offer mediated mitigation if concerns are raised.

Opponents—including the North Dakota Farm Bureau and the North Dakota Grain Growers Association—warned that HB 1544 would add red tape, increase litigation, and impose undue burdens on producers. Pete Hanover of the Farm Bureau said tiling is an important conservation and flood-mitigation tool and that the bill could complicate routine farm drainage. Dan Wagsland of the Grain Growers said the bill risks \"unintended consequences\" for producers and the agricultural economy.

Contractors and engineers who build drainage also testified. Levi Otis, director of government affairs for Ellings and Companies, described how tile systems are designed to move relatively modest flow (he cited a maximum design discharge figure commonly used by contractors) and argued that the 80-acre threshold has long been part of North Dakota practice. Otis and other industry witnesses described engineering checks—such as size of mains and permitting triggers—that can flag attempts to circumvent permitting by later tying small systems into larger networks.

Water administrators and legal counsel offered mixed perspective on what statutory change would accomplish. Jack Dwyer, executive secretary of the North Dakota Water Resource Districts Association and an attorney who handles drainage disputes, told the committee that state law and North Dakota Supreme Court precedent follow a \"reasonable use\" doctrine: upstream landowners may increase drainage unless their use causes unreasonable damage to downstream owners. Tile permitting, he said, does not routinely address private property damage and a downstream owner often still must seek a civil remedy in court even if permitting is tightened. Matt Lindsay, engineering and permitting section manager at the Department of Water Resources, testified neutrally that the bill would expand the department’s regulatory responsibilities under North Dakota Century Code and likely produce a material increase in permit applications and administrative workload; he said a fiscal note and at least one additional staff position would likely be required to handle the added permitting work.

Committee members asked detailed questions about when permits are required now, how county water boards and the department handle applications for surface drains and tile, and whether notice and mediation would reduce the need for litigation. Several members emphasized the difference between surface drainage (which the department may handle) and subsurface tile (handled at the county water resource board level), and multiple witnesses noted that permit processes, when invoked, can include engineering review, conditions and, in some cases, operational controls.

The committee did not take a vote on HB 1544 at Monday's hearing. Chairman Belz closed the bill's public testimony and moved on to other agenda items.","Lawmakers heard competing testimony on House Bill 1544, which would require notification of downstream landowners when drainage projects of 80 acres or less discharge onto neighboring property. Supporters said lack of notice has caused crop losses; opponents warned the measure could increase litigation and regulatory burden.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee roundup: House Ag committee amends and advances several bills, hears two hearings

House Ag committee hears bill to fund spay-and-neuter grants from existing environment and rangeland fund

House Ag panel hears testimony on drainage-notice bill after downstream landowners describe crop and property damage