[{"_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",6287761,"mediaKeyId","2546920-aeecd265eb3a9f3df02cda5c10ed3f36","parentId",2546920,"title","UND leaders urge funding for Health Professions Facility as Columbia Hall nears vacancy; committee hears study and funding testimony","audioSeconds",6304,"startMs",867000,"endMs",7171000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2546920-aeecd265eb3a9f3df02cda5c10ed3f36&start=867&end=7171","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2546920-aeecd265eb3a9f3df02cda5c10ed3f36/thumbnail_867000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6287761/North-Dakota/UND-leaders-urge-funding-for-Health-Professions-Facility-as-Columbia-Hall-nears-vacancy-committee-hears-study-and-funding-testimony","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287761-aaa8b5d573da4c5f6664ea2f1a5c0ea2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135267&Signature=hOlOe5xEiVgLBH82htx4ZQUMsOxqpm2RBvixldDrDEvpAN4X1MfLptcT6kkl5eNdrF6yc2pfAKxxLqBDLiW2wts4NXzS0SCHNsjxH3gR9tbkU3dUBIVPSqgJOvX6BR7BThJTqPZWmtsApv8ysY~4~PDavr~MarSXO2jBPz4OoU9ofdnkbtd7d2Q2-NmV4j03YI1lptwXCU7nji7wRUgEP3bEqw43jlG-jmU~MR8huQuDHPCTSZf9B39z4~DuPJYcIvOJuco7SBdZufqShmmK9sUF2LJpfi8oZCb2~e3bNBohrJyfjIAHOWp1JbatomluvgK7316BVm5jrYDQHUoMMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","The University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences told the House Education Committee that a proposed Health Professions Facility is needed to replace aging space and expand simulation, research and interdisciplinary training across nursing, medicine and allied health programs.

Marjorie Jenkins, dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for health affairs at UND, said Columbia Hall must be vacated and that deferred maintenance on Columbia Hall and the nursing building totals roughly $60 million. Jenkins said UND’s plan envisions a roughly 95,000‑square‑foot, three‑story facility that would house the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines together with the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and would include a simulation hospital, research space, and classrooms. \"I excerpted the part that I say every day, to serve North Dakota for the benefit of its people and to improve the quality of their lives,\" Jenkins said, citing the statutory purpose of the medical school in the North Dakota Century Code.

Jenkins and other witnesses provided specific funding figures the university had previously proposed: a total project cost near $95,000,000, with UND and local sources committing $40,000,000 and a state request of $55,000,000. Jenkins said even with outside fundraising the earliest occupancy timeline would put construction finished in 2028 and teaching beginning in 2029; she called the project a \"need\" rather than a mere want because Columbia Hall’s usable life is ending.

Multiple witnesses described programmatic benefits that would follow from the facility. Jenkins and College of Nursing Dean Meredith Schoegren said a simulation hospital would allow extended, team‑based simulation scenarios that bring nursing, physicians, physician assistants and other disciplines together in realistic, shift‑length experiences; Schoegren said expanded simulation reduces reliance on scarce clinical placements and improves patient safety and clinical readiness. Tom Arnold, chair of the School of Medicine Advisory Council and an OB‑GYN who practices in southwest North Dakota, said the advisory council \"overwhelmingly recommends\" the addition to address workforce shortages and program modernization.

Physicians and medical leaders asked the committee to consider funding the full building rather than only a study. Joshua Ranum, a UND graduate who practices in Hettinger and served as past president of the North Dakota Medical Association, urged an amendment to fully fund the building, saying a delay would increase costs and exacerbate the operational risk tied to aging facilities. Former UND vice president and dean Joshua Wynne (testifying in support) echoed that urgency and described the project as an opportunity to build on gains from prior workforce initiatives.

Witnesses also flagged research and federal funding risks: Jenkins noted UND’s significant federally sponsored research activity and said changes to federal rates for indirect costs (F&A) could materially reduce research support. The school told the committee it trains a large share of North Dakota clinicians—\"over half of the physicians practicing in North Dakota are our alumni,\" Jenkins said—and that expanding simulation, rural training and research capacity supports retention of those graduates in the state.

Committee members asked technical questions about program scope, robotic surgery training, and whether the recent master‑planning work accounted for academic needs. Jenkins said the master plan predated her arrival but that the fire marshal’s assessment accelerated the timeline to vacate Columbia Hall. No formal opposition testimony was recorded; the committee heard broad support from academic and clinical stakeholders and closed the hearing without a committee vote.

The testimony in the hearing framed the bill before the committee as a study authorization but included repeated appeals from university and medical‑community witnesses to restore or add capital funding to build the facility now. If enacted with funding, the university and partners expect the facility to expand interdisciplinary training, simulation, rural workforce development and targeted research for statewide health needs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education Tuesday, Mar 11, 2025 8:55 AM - 11:34 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences told the House Education Committee that a proposed Health Professions Facility is needed to replace aging space and expand simulation, research and interdisciplinary training across nursing, medicine and allied health programs.","taxTitle","Education, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28889,"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},6287766,"Bill would let Air Force base schools use state low‑interest construction loans; committee hears concerns about funding and local match",849,3945000,4794000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2546920-aeecd265eb3a9f3df02cda5c10ed3f36&start=3945&end=4794","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2546920-aeecd265eb3a9f3df02cda5c10ed3f36/thumbnail_3945000.jpg","/articles/6287766/North-Dakota/Bill-would-let-Air-Force-base-schools-use-state-lowinterest-construction-loans-committee-hears-concerns-about-funding-and-local-match","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287766-d223988171f57bda9625aa4090d2f780/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135267&Signature=LrzBNh6VDQqQbl61w5oLD0BcAflihp9KbPt0ig-ZAF-lq7uBQCDU27FY5ms8ukJPaPXrcWbYuoyyq7QgiT8HaGmUZeEqIh2vscp~9JznqxAQh~nYUHsak83AFCAtEW81uphKwXa0JnA9~CU~2KOi0Y9VG76I44oTiHFC2bHvaSK1P9iqmj0sMlFJzz7nJZCrwLbxK1hulESnCz5XHX9UmZGd6APwqpe62xEKuiVCOTTCbplHpFqg82JsyPMR4ec-FIWEbFPkNwyuX00Lj9RLDnrkoHWJi2E7MzYmgyuGqF-zoft5wGtwuDeChuwvQkqEE0yXAc4J20SO7uEp2675JA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Don Shively told the House Education Committee the bill would allow schools on Air Force bases selected from a federal priority list to participate in North Dakota’s low‑interest school construction loan program on the same terms as other districts.

Under current law, the superintendent of public instruction prioritizes loan awards based on student occupancy, academic need, building age and other statutory criteria; the bill adds language to treat approved Air Force base projects as eligible for 2% low‑interest loans and sets an Air Force‑specific loan cap in statute.

Senator Shively said most construction for base schools is funded through federal programs with an approximate 80% federal match and a 20% local match; because bases do not levy property tax, the local share would be paid from in‑lieu‑of‑tax funds the bases receive. \"The intent of this bill is to make a 2% loan available to our Air Force bases, which are selected from the priority list,\" Shively said.

Committee members pressed details about how the loans would be repaid and whether the loan fund would be held aside for base projects. Shively said the bill does not create a separate pot of money; loans would come from the existing School Construction Revolving Loan Fund and would still follow the fund’s priority list. He warned this could create competition between base projects and other districts and said a possible solution is additional capital put into the revolving fund.

Kylie Merkel of the Bank of North Dakota told the committee the fund typically revolves about $30 million annually, or about $60 million per biennium, and that House Bill 1369 (a separate appropriation measure) would add $75 million to the fund if enacted. Merkel said, \"That increases that biannual revolving from 60,000,000 to a hundred and 10,000,000 every biennium available for new loans with that 75,000,000.\" She also ran estimates for demand under the changed loan thresholds passed in the prior session.

Lawmakers asked for project‑level figures. Senator Shively said a Grand Forks project under discussion could be about $100 million, though he was not certain whether that is strictly an elementary project or a larger grade span. He said an Air Force base project approved on the federal priority list would qualify for the state loan but still would need the 20% local match, which Shively suggested could be covered by the bases’ in‑lieu funds \"to make the loan payments\".

Representative Longmire asked whether the bill’s language simply referred to the Bank of North Dakota as \"the bank\" in several places; Shively said that is a drafting change by legislative counsel and does not alter the policy. Representative Marshall asked how much additional funding would be required to make the revolving loan fund self‑sustaining; Bank of North Dakota staff said demand fluctuates and that a larger fund increases the number of projects that can be supported, noting two known projects with combined demand of about $39 million at the time of the hearing. Committee members did not take a committee vote during the session.

Supporters said the loan program provides intrinsic property tax relief for districts that borrow; opponents or formal opposition testimony were not recorded. The committee closed the hearing without action; committee staff indicated further work is needed to identify a funding source and any language changes to protect other district applicants from being displaced by base projects.","A bill introduced to extend the state school construction low‑interest loan program to schools located on Air Force bases drew support at a House Education hearing, but lawmakers and witnesses discussed funding limits, local 20% matching obligations and the capacity of the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund.",{"_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},6287769,"House Education Committee backs bill letting K‑12 coordination council hire researchers, approves $120,000 appropriation",266,381000,647000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2546920-aeecd265eb3a9f3df02cda5c10ed3f36&start=381&end=647","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2546920-aeecd265eb3a9f3df02cda5c10ed3f36/thumbnail_381000.jpg","/articles/6287769/North-Dakota/House-Education-Committee-backs-bill-letting-K12-coordination-council-hire-researchers-approves-120000-appropriation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287769-fae7382b835e1c2f639e18162f0e19c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135267&Signature=o7AVvdBuUoVRqAD9-LFFebGfU4rRcT1tg1FR1NkGabDh4a5wiwVzA04IiaQdT-OzgbU1Vu2nbHRq8uZf5oZAi-7CVbY2aA2JDQTttqMhHKNYmSrTIzTePWavmuiT77~eZTZO9cofGPV0R7CR4iY2Xxfaj7DMuX-D7ovWm2gSKPj0zJGjzayREvfXo6njHi6CUHPFM86Gb6ThWLUpeudlc9X8aApykQHhHHE2ws3iApBKsziFCSv4GsgHt7RN3tCFeHs~VlOP7aIU69I002MDiYAtVLmitCk36v9sVYizDw0BAsufTG0ajZf-FlvJ-aVYhNmBCKM5V7K7MN3KEc4Vjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 2262, which would authorize the North Dakota K‑12 Coordination Council to enter contracts for outside studies and provides a $120,000 appropriation, received a due‑pass recommendation from the House Education Committee and was re‑referred to the Appropriations Committee after a unanimous voice roll call.

Supporters told the committee the change clarifies the council’s authority to hire consultants for studies that exceed the council’s internal capacity. Senator Ryan Brownberger, who introduced the bill on behalf of the K‑12 Coordination Council, said the request is intended to let the council “enter into contracts with researchers to do studies” that are too large for members or small subcommittees to handle.

The bill matters because the council meets to identify duplication, replication and areas for innovation across agencies that serve public education; without explicit contracting authority and an appropriation, proponents said, large technical studies can stall. \"We recognized how massive [special education] is, and we had no structure, no authority to be able to contract with someone to help us work through that,\" Luke Schafer, chair of the K‑12 Coordination Council and CEO of Central Regional Education Association, told members.

Schafer said the requested funding is primarily to buy the council time and outside expertise when issues are too large for the 19‑member council or small subcommittees to resolve. Asked whether $120,000 is adequate, he said, \"It's better than 0,\" and acknowledged it would limit the number of studies the council could commission. Mark Falmer, executive director of the K‑12 Coordination Council, told the committee the council’s preference had been $250,000 but that $120,000 would “get us started.” He said any use of funds would require a council vote and that the council would prioritize internal resources and Department of Public Instruction assistance where possible.

Committee members asked implementation questions about procurement and budget relationships. Falmer and Schafer confirmed the council’s separate appropriation is distinct from the superintendent’s budget, and Rebecca Pollard in the Department of Public Instruction was cited as the DPI procurement contact; Falmer said contracting would follow standard DPI procurement rules. Representative Schreiberbeck pressed on the amount and on an amendment reducing the request to $120,000; Schafer repeated that a larger appropriation would permit more studies but the reduced amount still allows some work.

Representative Novak moved a due‑pass recommendation with referral to Appropriations; Representative Jonas seconded. The committee took a roll call; the clerk recorded 14 yes votes and no no votes. Committee leadership indicated Representative Novak will carry the bill forward.

The bill’s text grants authority for the K‑12 Coordination Council to contract for studies and includes the appropriation language; supporters emphasized the council’s role in vetting ideas before they reach the Legislature and said the authority would strengthen that function.

Supporters said likely topics for contracted work include special education and other large, technical policy areas where the council needs third‑party analysis or evaluation. No formal opposition testimony was recorded at the hearing.

A next step is committee consideration in Appropriations; the committee vote sends the bill with a recommendation to that committee for fiscal review and potential appropriation adjustments.","The House Education Committee gave a due‑pass recommendation and referred Senate Bill 2262 to appropriations after testimony that the K‑12 Coordination Council needs explicit authority and modest funding to contract for multi‑district studies, with supporters saying $120,000 will allow a small number of studies but $250,000 would be preferable.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

UND leaders urge funding for Health Professions Facility as Columbia Hall nears vacancy; committee hears study and funding testimony

Bill would let Air Force base schools use state low‑interest construction loans; committee hears concerns about funding and local match

House Education Committee backs bill letting K‑12 coordination council hire researchers, approves $120,000 appropriation