[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6357640,"mediaKeyId","2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634","parentId",2213836,"title","Committee votes 'do not pass' on proposed Nursing Services Agency bill after agency and A.G. review","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",7217000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634&start=7217&end=7217","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634/thumbnail_7217000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6357640/North-Dakota/Committee-votes-do-not-pass-on-proposed-Nursing-Services-Agency-bill-after-agency-and-AG-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357640-336ab0288e7456140cbae917a083d653/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172602&Signature=nLavj8qc1GzHyjYAjEZaJO-Uog2iftEROst750t1YD7ZKHOuxrIZe2DUEm7L10VWBx-vf2D1cYyuo7hOfB1i4bjL3N2iva2Os7HhT51ZAYRm3JuLSHlCYednnnxoEsxS~VUYFM3r0-IFFd0xU96fzkPNZJrmHtHM6URdkUKODODqJp8bQdjuVFaSE1E0OEGn7dwYx~S2fN47QcmunA4vj7IBBPVYGjRuF~9zrmTOioBsX1C4AvvYkB3ks-XH5SxrsHR8~uStfndqESjXNZTSXnAOEgUw7nF2HlIlbvhPhH3NGKyv18XQ9wd4kpoKMlWkWiECFBdBdX~SEHYrMjccaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Workforce Development, ND","date","2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Workforce Development Committee voted to recommend a \"do not pass\" on Senate Bill 2031, a proposed Nursing Services Agency measure that would have imposed new registration, reporting and personnel-related requirements on nursing services agencies.

Assistant Attorney General Allison Hicks briefed the committee on legal and operational problems she said arose while reviewing the draft bill. Hicks told the committee that the bill’s provisions would require proof of ownership and address information for multi‑tier ownership structures, would impose payroll- and HR-style compliance checks that fall under other agencies’ purview, and would require HHS to perform functions for which department staff said it is not organized. \"The more layers of the onion we peeled back, the more problems it presented. And so this bill really isn't ready for prime time,\" Hicks said.

Committee members heard that Human Services staff had told the committee they were not prepared to assume the HR and enforcement tasks the bill would create and that long‑term care and other provider groups raised questions about the bill’s reach. After discussion, a committee member moved a do‑not‑pass recommendation; the motion was seconded and the committee recorded a roll-call vote in favor of the do‑not‑pass recommendation. The clerk recorded the following votes on the do‑not‑pass motion: Senator Wabamah — yes; Senator Larson — yes; Senator Bosche — yes; Senator Powers — yes. The motion carried.

Committee members and staff encouraged provider groups to continue internal work within their associations and to return with a more narrowly focused or administratively feasible proposal if they wish to pursue regulatory changes in future sessions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Workforce Development Jan 31, 2025\t","oneSentenceSummary","A proposed Nursing Services Agency bill (Senate Bill 2031) drew legal and implementation concerns from the Attorney General’s office and Human Services staff; the Workforce Development Committee voted to recommend a do-not-pass on the bill.","taxTitle","Workforce Development, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28910,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6357645,"Bill would let nurse educators pursuing master’s degrees use Career Builders loan-repayment program",1484,4921000,6405000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634&start=4921&end=6405","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634/thumbnail_4921000.jpg","/articles/6357645/North-Dakota/Bill-would-let-nurse-educators-pursuing-masters-degrees-use-Career-Builders-loan-repayment-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357645-09039100be2224901e10a0546ad249de/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172602&Signature=ToeUfdxX9lxsym9kiF-y3c7Ht5kkWl9MIkZF1fmqN4jsH12gIJSMJQrwWfwjiWb7fRiAPnwsGv~qocg3pAwgvVRk-T4~VjA4FSzqi0vvNQgWu50o4J-gmAgA8lMP8ia6duEcVQ6-VcWCLjw-tRamSoHWFwzGabmoHFXMoAptvcEpme~mrGDYUrqIaVQx-hyL5SmWuUQ4Ry5cieORicnmvFou6juZKdbXDcNeUV6U8UaFsGTlGoLicSxMhJ5DNmF6abDVPHX8J5rNRZbbKJcJA~CBF9XTO0udARCjgbklSrxARMzXRR8nx~gO5alC4-Hd2alDMg-y8sXj1YMmoeyHWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 2221, presented to the Workforce Development Committee, would expand eligibility under the state Career Builders Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program to allow nurses who are pursuing a master’s degree and who teach clinical units to participate in loan-repayment and scholarship components.

Sponsor Sen. Christian Rohrs said the change is intended to increase the pool of qualified clinical instructors for nursing programs. He told the committee that North Dakota’s current rules require clinical instructors to hold a higher degree than the students they teach and that the state has a shortage of instructors who meet both education and recent clinical-experience requirements.

Brenda Zastepo of the North Dakota University System’s financial aid office explained how the Career Builders program currently works: it covers certificates, associate degrees and, since the 2023 session, bachelor’s degrees (limited to the last two years of study). \"Our office administers the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program,\" Zastepo told senators, and she said the program generally uses the workforce development council’s in-demand-occupations list for eligibility.

Zastepo said master’s-level nursing is not presently included in the scholarship portion of the program, and the bill is aimed at creating a carve-out so nurse educators pursuing a master’s would be eligible for loan repayment or scholarship support tied to clinical-teaching commitments. She also noted the program contains both a loan-repayment piece and a scholarship piece and that the record shows no new appropriation is included in the bill text.

Committee members asked about how many clinical units an eligible instructor would teach and whether the bill would limit which clinical courses a master’s student could teach. Zastepo said the Career Builders scholarship rules require specific course load language and that the committee could choose whether to impose further limits. Sponsors emphasized they were open to working with the University System and the Board of Nursing on precise implementation language.

The hearing closed with no committee vote recorded.","Senate Bill 2221 would make nurses pursuing a master’s degree and teaching clinicals eligible for the state Career Builders scholarship and loan repayment program; witnesses said the proposal plugs a gap in existing eligibility and would not add new appropriation dollars.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6357650,"Committee hears bill to allow retention payments in rural attorney recruitment program",1075,3826000,4901000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634&start=3826&end=4901","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634/thumbnail_3826000.jpg","/articles/6357650/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-bill-to-allow-retention-payments-in-rural-attorney-recruitment-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357650-120a5c72060bdc941801b38664dab9cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172602&Signature=VfOZLFL43NoaG3YH~Qxy5-mJUFQay1TFo9mbiGp33pTb8IU2A~fBAT~19kp08YbYSWImNQFazGfxR4Ivn71e2ClNXHQmCFJJ3W4p38Saciepruvyh3IdDGsONjbeGf5NTOIrp0hUxb0xLXK9xFdOg9RhfiDGkXjVfodpcL3wRlBEJJ4Wy5O0aCZvQPpiKJOtUE2OKkdWLV4182K-67dAam9KlfGg0txN6WCPp1fJVV1nusG87hwWGKcF~nSgNIKpT7VzI9IQl95dJuWL7MYvdXl7Mm056HUPf5ZgObCBrJb2jYe2pQG55ahIoM2YSqyizVfLY2KIhiGhjbmDuFNmiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators considered Senate Bill 2211, a measure to revise the state’s rural attorney recruitment program so the same program can be used both to recruit attorneys into underserved counties and to retain attorneys already serving in those counties.

Sponsor Sen. Brad Becketal told the committee the bill makes a small statutory change to add “retention” language to the existing program; he said the change does not add new slots or a new appropriation. \"The bill you have before you has no appropriation. It has no money attached to it for new money,\" Becketal said.

Scott Johnson, deputy state court administrator, outlined how the program currently operates. He said the program provides up to $45,000 per attorney paid in five installments over five years, and the cost is shared among three parties. \"The cost of the program, is split 50% for the state, [35%] for the participating community, and the State Bar Association, 15%,\" Johnson said. (Committee discussion showed that formulation means roughly half from the state, a portion from the local participating community and a smaller share from the legal foundation or bar charity.)

Johnson said the program’s cap remains eight attorney slots under current law; to date the program has run four recruitment cycles, and six attorney–community matches are active. He described communities and counties that have matched attorneys through the program, including Walsh County (multiple matches), Grafton, Renville County and Bowman County, and he noted one pending Wells County application that, if approved, would leave one slot available under the program cap.

Tony Wyler, executive director of the State Bar Association of North Dakota, testified in support and confirmed the bar foundation supplies the 15% funding share; the bar urged expanded usage and said the association would help fill remaining slots.

Committee members asked administrative questions about how the program is administered and how counties and communities elect to participate; witnesses said communities must agree to share program costs and that the program is intended to place attorneys where counties lack local counsel. The hearing concluded with no committee vote recorded.","Senate Bill 2211 would add a retention option to North Dakota’s rural attorney recruitment program without increasing the program’s cap or requesting new state appropriation; testimony explained the program structure and current participants.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6357655,"Senate hears proposal for $20 million to expand NDSU Research and Technology Park into robotics hub",2845,379000,3224000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634&start=379&end=3224","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2213836-883a8868950e75c0ad27f024b3742634/thumbnail_379000.jpg","/articles/6357655/North-Dakota/Senate-hears-proposal-for-20-million-to-expand-NDSU-Research-and-Technology-Park-into-robotics-hub","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6357655-25e0fbaf50c99c87cb2deee39d82113b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172602&Signature=KXbrKWsqZiyRqLoKR1MYeefNGB9dL1FrhRLC50gIp5QgtNdiq1Hs-8~JvtQsWDw5ujbKz6HOiEHt35-44uH44pIcDv7z90Ilc0M4oQeBSH-XwiS2u24LD88MI5YKe1~J4PYD5AcvxfoHgw9pr2STfR8QAmI0723XkJOmQc1Pz8lMZYQxcrUQhwebTuzkuzyNzmnDNxEniMO8RDVIcoN8UxstsetpEmhuhZ595gbfEQHdCDOZougQMPJrshXCwVyOxp26n1BWd74CBS~VVeP9c17VCMz4zDP2-lCm2DPGSxTIv4uT~ZlcwX4tciqhC3~OG5pAdmAj-iqoUlLUMg8GRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators on the Workforce Development Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2256 on a proposal to provide a one-time $20,000,000 appropriation to the NDSU Research and Technology Park to build a center focused on advanced robotics, precision agriculture and dual-use defense technologies.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ron Sarvaj, told the committee the appropriation is written as a continuing appropriation in statute language but is intended as a one-time $20 million payment that would end June 30, 2027. Sarvaj said the park is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses the NDSU name because the university owns land used by the park and that the proposal is intended to expand the park’s mission toward engineering, prototyping and product development for industry.

The park’s chief executive, Brenda Weiland, described the plan as a shift from purely campus-affiliated research toward rapid product development and commercialization. \"We are a separate 501 C3 nonprofit organization,\" Weiland told the committee, adding the park will build an engineering team to convert technology into marketable products and to partner with private industry and existing in-state test assets like Grand Farm and Grand Sky.

Weiland said the park is pursuing a formal partnership with Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC). Jeff Legault, associate director at NREC, told the committee that NREC began with public seed funding and grew into a self-sustaining center that generated large amounts of R&D and spawned startups. \"Without that initial funding, we would not exist,\" Legault said, describing NREC’s experience of scaling technical staff and attracting industry partners.

Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. James Clough testified in support and described how a locally based advanced-robotics capability could speed defense-related development cycles from decades to months. \"The Tech Park can absolutely contribute to that ecosystem in a way that we desperately need,\" he said.

Committee staff from the Industrial Commission described how the bill’s administration could mirror existing arrangements used for the Energy and Environmental Research Center: the Industrial Commission would hold the appropriation, contract with the park and receive periodic reports and deliverables.

Committee members asked about overlap with existing state assets. Sponsors and witnesses repeatedly stressed the proposal would not duplicate Grand Farm or the EERC but would instead aim to leverage those assets for environmental testing and to focus on product development and commercialization. Weiland said the park currently supports about 620 jobs and reported an annual payroll impact of about $52 million; the testimony forecast additional direct and indirect job creation if the center is funded and grows.

The hearing did not include a committee vote on the bill. Committee members closed the public portion of the hearing and moved to the next scheduled business.

The committee received written testimony and multiple supporters appeared in person to answer questions; no formal action on the bill was recorded at the hearing.","Senators heard testimony on Senate Bill 2256, which would provide a one-time $20 million appropriation to the NDSU Research and Technology Park to support a planned center for advanced robotics, a proposed partnership with Carnegie Mellon University’s robotics center, and expanded commercialization work under Industrial Commission oversight.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee votes 'do not pass' on proposed Nursing Services Agency bill after agency and A.G. review

Bill would let nurse educators pursuing master’s degrees use Career Builders loan-repayment program

Committee hears bill to allow retention payments in rural attorney recruitment program

Senate hears proposal for $20 million to expand NDSU Research and Technology Park into robotics hub