[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6326944,"mediaKeyId","2323582-83f9784aedd36aff47690dd803c21f36","parentId",2323582,"title","Appropriations Committee votes: summary of bills considered Feb. 27","audioSeconds",1626,"startMs",1968000,"endMs",3594000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323582-83f9784aedd36aff47690dd803c21f36&start=1968&end=3594","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323582-83f9784aedd36aff47690dd803c21f36/thumbnail_1968000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6326944/North-Dakota/Appropriations-Committee-votes-summary-of-bills-considered-Feb-27","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326944-6665f50f9cf86764697149bbba234f9f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771078707&Signature=iyM9NaqefyeflgArcEU3KKzAYk~D8kZiw85MNcLdKHW0l5IIh7lFWCVhRV55uLWVmTd3dtfyBeWXPlLys2DVcM5n~OCBfvBqhnM6WvpVcBZmcy~vuGtLyQICHRBEH2GGeFQ09ulsP7iqaJg5HC6gj6A~2hwizeV~jPf77fwER4bFbLhvssdP8inHpn9Cc-XF~rnAVtVH6C9ndJq922EC9Db2liIjWh8cASakTCxi3Nmm8Lj8jooas3NJErELxf78JHvEimYxyyR9tBH35Qz6va23VRKCt1ukRQBQkwc8~jAUav3UZhqa~GpuDedbhIbPdUXtdsfHMwwwCHTxrDT9Rg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Appropriations Committee met Feb. 27 and considered multiple bills across education, commerce, health, economic development and corrections. The committee approved amendments and recommended several bills for passage (due pass or due pass as amended) and sent a few to carrier assignment. Below are concise summaries and the committee’s recorded outcomes for each bill discussed after the agricultural diversification item.

Votes at a glance (committee action and short note):

- Senate Bill 02/1954 (school electronic device policy): Committee approved an amendment to strike a $300,000 grant provision and remove direction for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to identify approved storage containers. The committee then voted to give the bill a due pass as amended. (Motion carried; vote recorded in transcript as affirmative.)

- Senate Bill 02/2354? (note: transcript refers to 2,354 and 02/1954 interchangeably) — amendment and due pass as amended recorded.

- Senate Bill 02/2396 (independent audit of Commerce Department, incl. Development Fund): Committee reduced requested audit funding from $350,000 to $200,000, approved the amendment, and later gave the bill a due pass as amended. The sponsor and committee noted the audit would focus on the Commerce Department’s Development Fund and related programs; committee members discussed whether the State Auditor could participate but accepted a fully independent audit. (Amendment approved; due pass as amended.)

- Senate Bill 02/1999 (reimbursement rules for psychiatric residential treatment facilities — PTRFs): Committee approved the bill (due pass). The bill directs the Department of Human Services to update Medicaid reimbursement rules to reclassify certain supervisory and family‑engagement costs as direct care and to set an administrative cost cap; the fiscal note anticipates roughly $1M in state general fund cost with federal match. (Due pass recommended.)

- Senate Bill 02/2256 (NDSU Research Technology Park grant request; amended appropriation reduced): Committee amended the request from $20 million to $15 million for the NDSU Research and Technology Park (a 501(c)(3) affiliated with NDSU). The amendment and then due pass as amended carried; sponsor described proposed uses (product design/engineering, product development/prototyping, infrastructure upgrades and equipment) and characterized the state funds as seed money to attract private partners.

- Senate Bill 02/2271 (adult residential facilities cost reporting for dementia/brain injury care): Committee approved an amendment removing an inflation adjustment and a proposed 5% operating margin and clarified the appropriation to approximately $1.7M general fund (with federal match). The bill now requires adult residential facilities to submit cost reports so the Department can better align reimbursement to actual costs. (Amendment approved; due pass as amended.)

- Senate Bill 02/1952 (mother‑infant program in corrections): Committee approved a due pass recommendation on a version that retains program permission but removes proposed liability protections. Sponsors said the state will likely see minimal operational cost for supplies, and community donations were expected to supply many immediate needs; the fiscal note projects up to $100,000 in expenditures in the 2027–29 biennium for basic care supplies. (Due pass recommended.)

- Senate Bill 02/2231 (add dental services to Medicaid expansion): Committee recommended due pass. The bill would add dental coverage for Medicaid expansion enrollees (about 34,000 people); the fiscal note shows roughly $500,000 state general fund and larger federal match based on anticipated utilization. Committee discussion noted Federally Qualified Health Centers provide many of the services and would gain reimbursement for care already being provided.

- Senate Bill 02/1936 (juvenile competency/assessment processes): Following an interim review and interagency coordination, the committee amended the bill to reduce an originally larger staffing and funding request (from near $5M) down to $500,000, then voted to give the bill a due pass as amended. The sponsor said the interim work clarified there are relatively few cases (about 15 per year) and a smaller, streamlined approach fits current needs. (Amendment approved; due pass as amended.)

- Senate Bill 02/1997 (rural community endowment fund): Committee adopted an amendment reducing the proposed endowment investment from $50 million to $5 million and removed a $5 million immediate grant tranche; the bill as amended received a due pass recommendation. Sponsors and members said the change keeps the concept alive while acknowledging current budget constraints and that the program can accept gifts and grow over time.

After completing the listed items the committee adjourned until Wednesday at 08:30 a.m.; members were reminded several bills were carried forward for the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations Mon, Feb 17, 2025 2:00 PM-5:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Appropriations Committee considered a package of bills Feb. 27 spanning education, commerce, health care, economic development and corrections and issued due‑pass recommendations on several measures after approving amendments.","taxTitle","Appropriations, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28312,"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},6326949,"Appropriations Committee advances amendment to $25 million Agricultural Diversification Fund; final action deferred",1168,741000,1909000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2323582-83f9784aedd36aff47690dd803c21f36&start=741&end=1909","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2323582-83f9784aedd36aff47690dd803c21f36/thumbnail_741000.jpg","/articles/6326949/North-Dakota/Appropriations-Committee-advances-amendment-to-25-million-Agricultural-Diversification-Fund-final-action-deferred","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6326949-037a3dd10b7053be88eff4b3064f3768/orig.mp4?Expires=1771078707&Signature=K1JUpo1IzJJqoDDr8PkUybSSpRdKbzAAsw6I9wWoDUVs5ow1sCTTrAr6NqUb-Lx1vrgb8H-QhsibmgQrmtWsNcrHBbSJeTbrVBBbnUc3cFRN8OHoVwLuc5eIn6PEPJ8kGC56vaKDqLBpPkGCSxNbqUPjnNUv-O5XH3drXif3LdP0bjWlpjAiY~j~s3RS-cNYEEqIWPVcu0WtNNqI8iuH6IAr7v~gLEw2UN04Lr3wp7lSKnAqlW~Gl002C0gf1BU3mXNO~2bzbnqWl7PBjovZ21wK5sDApbQOmg3YsR~hGkMk0r7QE367YeKPTgcl0fS2bB3IrQSx1o7tD73Ubgzcpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 27 approved an amendment to legislation that continues a $25 million Agricultural Diversification and Development Fund but postponed final committee action so members could review additional program detail.

Committee members approved an amendment that replaces a prior “up to 5%” administrative allowance with language authorizing the Agriculture Commissioner to reimburse the Agriculture Diversification and Development Committee members for travel, lodging, per diem and related costs “as authorized under” state employee rules. The amendment also explicitly ties certain funds to per diem and related costs of the Ag Infrastructure Grant Program each biennium.

Senator Wozzeck, the bill sponsor, said the measure continues a $25 million fund to incent value‑added agricultural projects and that the fund matches the prior biennium’s appropriation. “This bill addresses the agricultural diversification and development program… it’s a $25,000,000 fund, it’s the same as that we provided last biennium,” he said.

Doug Goring, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner, told the committee the $25 million is intended for interest‑rate buy‑downs and grants. He said $15 million was dedicated for interest buy‑downs; that amount could subsidize roughly $256 million in loans, and currently about $125 million in loans exist within the program. Goring said the interest buy‑down has already reduced borrower obligations by about $7.8 million and that the program has been operating for about 18 months.

The bill also allocates up to $10 million for the Ag Infrastructure Program for community infrastructure tied to value‑added animal processing projects. Commissioner Goring described the infrastructure funding as available to political subdivisions where an egg or other animal processing facility is built or expanded and said the bill would allow up to $1.2 million (or 80% of a project) for road and bridge upgrades and up to $350,000 for utility upgrades (power, wastewater, water) per project.

Several senators asked for documentation of prior program awards and outcomes before making a final committee recommendation. Senator Davidson and other members said they could not locate program outcome reports on the Department of Agriculture website and requested a booklet summarizing closed projects and results. Commissioner Goring agreed to provide a report and said the department could supply project summaries to the committee before its next meeting.

After discussion the sponsor and committee members agreed to remove the pending motion to give the bill a “due pass as amended” and to move the item to the Wednesday session so members would receive the requested booklet and additional clarifying information before voting. The committee did not take a final vote on the bill during the Feb. 27 hearing.

The measure remains scheduled for continued committee consideration on Wednesday at 08:30 a.m.","The Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment clarifying allowable reimbursements from the Agricultural Diversification and Development Fund and postponed final committee action pending additional information from the Department of Agriculture.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Appropriations Committee votes: summary of bills considered Feb. 27

Appropriations Committee advances amendment to $25 million Agricultural Diversification Fund; final action deferred