[{"_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",6313488,"mediaKeyId","2387803-e8491217d9c3a9a6bb6499ba89a1feee","parentId",2387803,"title","Senate passes $7.5 billion higher education budget after floor amendments","audioSeconds",2345,"startMs",432000,"endMs",2777000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2387803-e8491217d9c3a9a6bb6499ba89a1feee&start=432&end=2777","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2387803-e8491217d9c3a9a6bb6499ba89a1feee/thumbnail_432000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6313488/North-Dakota/Senate-passes-75-billion-higher-education-budget-after-floor-amendments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6313488-0bd568952d9a910ce7e44c75d2e16b54/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170990&Signature=TxPE0Wek8yDOQoF2FJSq0IAQalOp4ibFvLZVK3rc6Awjfyv3VZqBzy9QLNfoORI6VPkfVUlesBgzl9s-Es7BCHmugsrxDeMHRiW6JHsbfBBBhm7xDukVuH51DLNfViXUus5fTYQ-HjhXSmV4iorsZNO6dZcM6dPicEWBaaybK7p2poKhqcdGVZl4eXJ9Cr7Lbm~4fEa0h08cxbMIYSkRDuO4OnluUI3ceNnK20vISfX17QCVJ44mjfzJ~ni1SPTGNeTU7gjLY7rrp5NLkKN4YClMVPYgh9Z7E3d6dEJ5Gg-zMfLEu9OIA36vJAbCU7L9Nj6co83ei4b6LMSYYES3Rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Sorebach, carrying Senate Bill 2003, told the Senate the measure provides the higher education budget for the North Dakota University System and related units and asked colleagues to concur after the Appropriations Committee gave it a due pass.

The bill funds the state's 11 public higher education institutions (including the University of North Dakota Medical Center), the university system office and the forest service and contains a mix of formula adjustments, student aid increases, challenge grants and capital project authorizations. \"This budget includes our 11 institutions, UND Medical Center, the university system, and the system, and the forest service,\" Senator Sorebach said on the floor.

Why it matters: the bill adjusts the state funding formula used to allocate operating dollars, provides one-time and ongoing increases to student financial-assistance programs and authorizes both state investment-finance (SIF) spending for specified capital projects and non-state financed institutional projects.

Major provisions and dollar amounts in the bill include:
- Student financial assistance: the bill increases an ongoing grant program by $2,000,000 (described on the floor as an addition to an approximately $29.09 million base).
- Tribal college grants: an additional $200,000 to expand scholarship access for non‑enrolled students to tribal colleges.
- Funding-formula adjustments and hold‑harmless provisions: the bill continues statutory hold‑harmless protections (96% floor) for institutions such as Williston and Valley City and removes averaging of certain formula factors for the coming biennium.
- Operating formula increase: committee staff placed a 4% increase into the formula as the biennial adjustment; on the floor Senator Sorebach described that as an added $444,000,000 in the formula base to address operating and salary adjustments.
- Capital projects (SIF-authorized): $63,000,000 in SIF dollars to support two building projects (an $8,132,000 multi-project package for Williston and a $55,640,000 phase of the UND STEM project); Mayville’s Old Main project appears in the bill at approximately $34,924,000. Senator Sorebach noted that some institutional projects listed in the bill are funded with non‑state sources (revenue bonds, donations, student fees).
- Research, computing and program investments: increases to the high-performance computing allocation (from $5 million to $7 million, split between NDSU and UND), $12,000,000 toward NDSU’s New Horizons program, and a $950,000 Emerald Ash Borer mitigation allocation for the forest service.
- Workforce and capital grant restructuring: the bill creates or funds a $12,000,000 workforce-education innovation grant program limited to nine institutions (explicitly excluding UND and NDSU from applying); it expands tier 3 capital funding from $9,000,000 to $16,500,000 and relaxes matching requirements for smaller institutions to increase access.

Debate and floor amendments
A floor amendment (amendment 25.0170.02001) to add the two private institutions — the University of Jamestown and the University of Mary — to the challenge-grant program and to provide $750,000 each from SIF was offered and debated. \"This particular amendment would go exclusively to scholarships for students,\" the amendment sponsor, Senator Wanzek, said, arguing the funds would benefit students whose parents pay state taxes. Senator Sorebach opposed the change on committee and floor grounds, saying the challenge-grant program is designed to strengthen public institutions and that existing privately targeted scholarships already can follow students. The verification roll call on that amendment was 22 ayes, 24 nays; the amendment failed.

Action: After debate and the failed private‑school amendment, the Senate adopted the proposed committee amendment to the bill earlier in the day and later voted on final passage. Final passage tally for Senate Bill 2003: 44 ayes, 2 nays, 1 absent/not voting. The bill passed the Senate.

Discussion vs. decision: the body debated both programmatic policy and technical drafting (Sorebach noted a typographical reference to \"general fund\" that should read SIF), but the Senate’s recorded actions — the failed private‑school amendment and the final passage vote — are formal and reflected in the bill’s passage.

What’s next: the bill will be transmitted to the House for its consideration and any further amendments or conference work.

Ending: Sponsors emphasized student affordability and institutional stability as the bill’s primary goals. Senator Sorebach framed the work as an attempt \"to keep it affordable and we want 11 healthy institutions for our students and for the state of North Dakota.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","69th Legislative Assembly - Senate Floor Session Tuesday, Feb 25, 2025 12:56 PM - 2:36 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senator Sorebach, carrying Senate Bill 2003, told the Senate the measure provides the higher education budget for the North Dakota University System and related units and asked colleagues to concur after the Appropriations Committee gave it a due pass.","taxTitle","Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28311,"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},6313478,"Votes at a glance: key Senate roll calls, March session",2879,2626000,5505000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2387803-e8491217d9c3a9a6bb6499ba89a1feee&start=2626&end=5505","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2387803-e8491217d9c3a9a6bb6499ba89a1feee/thumbnail_2626000.jpg","/articles/6313478/North-Dakota/Votes-at-a-glance-key-Senate-roll-calls-March-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6313478-3ed1833a95f879665331239038fb0ea5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170990&Signature=o4HvYYeYBOyN7RfKn1cXUUbfqqXepV1phSf8dJhR0dGMp-4FicAuLwpi7N9997uyIwjnwdhpmwr8fDNI3Luxf9~9AtafDx3SqZG-eYbjUhi1fXuNVriYF88deyFLHZK9TZWCApQOB2jeq0YA~8gjhXScUOQrc75vhIHKQ9qzJ0uC7hJlbQERBWnAxnwJAXksxHP-kRKR5voLZvGky0q74g0nwNHyRonIH~jSdn1fnPgGsc-0a0xJ04NjYSIqhPqrsWA5fOwQg6jNPKDl5FKo44ckDPsoRXH9VJl1ICntYxdrBHi3YYwJiwG0eOD4L9HoAWyWB86iDEaK4l81qR~vDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate recorded votes on multiple measures during this floor period. Below are the formal outcomes and key details as recorded in the transcript.

Major recorded roll calls and outcomes
- Senate Bill 2003 (higher education appropriations): final passage — 44 ayes, 2 nays, 1 absent/not voting (passed).
- Amendment to SB2003 to add University of Jamestown and University of Mary to challenge grants (amendment 25.0170.02001): failed on verification roll call — 22 ayes, 24 nays.
- Senate Bill 2308 (boards and commissions restructuring): final passage — 30 ayes, 15 nays, 2 absent/not voting (passed).
- Hog‑house floor amendment to SB2308 (convert sections into a legislative-management study): failed — 10 ayes, 35 nays.
- Senate Concurrent Resolution 40 12 (urging Congress to permit use of M44 sodium cyanide devices): passed on final passage (voice roll call recorded as passed).
- Senate Concurrent Resolution 40 16 (study of primary election procedures / separate party ballots): failed on verification — 17 ayes, 28 nays, 2 absent (failed).
- Senate Concurrent Resolution 40 14 (study of election and political party activities in districts containing tribal lands): failed — 2 ayes, 43 nays, 2 absent (failed).
- House Bill 1068 (autopsy and funeral practice statutes recodification): final passage — 44 ayes, 1 nay, 2 absent (passed).
- House Bill 1244 (home education income tax credit): failed — 15 ayes, 30 nays, 2 absent (failed).

Context and next steps
Senators debated substantive amendments on major bills (notably SB2003 and SB2308) and also decided several study resolutions; failed study motions and failed amendments indicate ongoing disagreements about scope and process. Measures that passed the Senate will be transmitted to the House (for House-originated bills) or to the enrolled-bill process as appropriate; failed measures are recorded as such and will not proceed without further action.

Ending: The transcript shows the body moving bills to messages for the House and scheduling committee meetings for continued work; the roll-call tallies above are verbatim from the Senate’s recorded votes in this floor session.","This roundup lists recorded roll-call outcomes from the Senate on several bills and concurrent resolutions considered during the same floor session: SB2003 and SB2308 passed; several concurrent resolutions and House bills passed or failed as noted below.",{"_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},6313483,"Senate approves wide-ranging boards-and-commissions bill after debate over scope and process",2108,2648000,4756000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2387803-e8491217d9c3a9a6bb6499ba89a1feee&start=2648&end=4756","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2387803-e8491217d9c3a9a6bb6499ba89a1feee/thumbnail_2648000.jpg","/articles/6313483/North-Dakota/Senate-approves-wide-ranging-boards-and-commissions-bill-after-debate-over-scope-and-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6313483-f0a942e35b8b0b08a014c2f157da7c68/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170990&Signature=B0zRHI3tIgCCibzWO3YG8hKcl2MmvOio3ewTxvQ8gJM6YRu5FUb6jUQE0HD2ge85gVEV3LlOvS0aF4wbnBgglcaggiNcOcjBIo6IWSNJXUeK~ks9ReSwYPrs~LPyIq-Eq~OCOt8JOn4zGhPhw0N6f6UBii68~ZRzaQeo1mE60HNZx88ykqstElypg5QBtA0xXm~CZWbIZd5tz6kk2okcqOjK5tdjSbELzy5vpfRVczVrxzgE7S2y4bH2unhUfZ7ykoIGwcm18rqmVIosQtspKTEd6vxxdNIkMVlakzJs7Hx4Ou7gAsR7tYGe14wYhHeyO5hMk7YeE7wFGsOHbfPQOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Roars, carrying Senate Bill 2308, described the measure as a governor‑requested package that reorganizes multiple state boards and commissions, moves some duties to executive agencies and creates a board‑review task force in the governor’s office.

\"This bill is requested by the governor with the aim to refocus our efforts in state government to be consumer driven,\" Senator Roars said on the floor while explaining the bill’s scope and the sections that move duties to departments such as the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Water Resources, and Information Technology (IT).

Why it matters: the bill dissolves, consolidates or reassigns the statutory duties of multiple advisory boards, commissions and technical committees, aims to reduce duplication and requires a task force to recommend which boards can be combined or eliminated. Sponsors argue the change will reduce overhead and administrative burden; critics said some boards are necessary to preserve federal funding, stakeholder voice and program-specific expertise.

Key changes explained on the floor
- Transfer of the State Longitudinal Data System (SLEDS) oversight from the Department of Public Instruction to the IT department.
- Moving the on‑site wastewater recycling technical guide duties to the Department of Environmental Quality while other water‑well responsibilities transfer to the Department of Water Resources.
- Creation of a governor’s Board Review Task Force (seven legislative voting members and six non‑voting university representatives) to study funding and formula issues for higher education (non‑voting university appointees to be chosen by the higher ed board).
- Repeal or reassignment of roughly 17 boards and committees listed on the bill’s repeal list (for example, the On-site Wastewater Recycling Technical Committee and certain advisory councils), with some functions absorbed by state agencies.

Floor debate and failed floor amendment
A floor amendment (a \"hog‑house\" amendment) that would have converted the initial sections of the bill into a legislative management study and effectively delayed structural changes was offered and rejected. Senator Lee, Senator Davison and others supported the study approach; Senator Roars urged rejection of the hog‑house because he said the task force exists to spur action and avoid a fourth interim study. The verification roll call on the floor amendment was 10 ayes and 35 nays; the amendment failed.

Stakeholder concerns raised on the floor
Several senators objected that dissolving some boards could jeopardize federal matching funds or reduce the voice of service recipients and industry stakeholders. For example, legislators on the floor said some advisory councils supply expertise and lived‑experience perspective that cannot be easily replaced by agency staff. Senator Roars acknowledged drafting and implementation work remained and that parts of the bill would require follow-up to avoid unintended losses of federal funds.

Action and final passage
The Senate committee on State and Local Government recommended a due pass. After floor debate and failed amendments, final passage on Senate Bill 2308 was recorded at 30 ayes, 15 nays, 2 absent/not voting; the bill passed the Senate.

Ending: Sponsors described the bill as an attempt to decrease government footprint and increase efficiency; opponents urged caution to preserve boards that carry program‑specific expertise or that are necessary to secure federal funds. The bill will be transmitted to the House for further consideration.","Senate Bill 2308, a 33-page measure requested by the governor that moves, reassigns or repeals multiple statutory boards and commissions and creates a governor’s board‑review task force, passed the Senate 30–15 after floor debate over hog‑housing sections into a study and several failed procedural amendments.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate passes $7.5 billion higher education budget after floor amendments

Votes at a glance: key Senate roll calls, March session

Senate approves wide-ranging boards-and-commissions bill after debate over scope and process