[{"_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",6624911,"mediaKeyId","2764906-8000b33ec36ef67b15c299917a6beb28","parentId",2764906,"title","Committee backs bill to exempt Center for Distance Education from some OMB procurement and forms rules","audioSeconds",417,"startMs",2158000,"endMs",2575000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764906-8000b33ec36ef67b15c299917a6beb28&start=2158&end=2575","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764906-8000b33ec36ef67b15c299917a6beb28/thumbnail_2158000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6624911/North-Dakota/Committee-backs-bill-to-exempt-Center-for-Distance-Education-from-some-OMB-procurement-and-forms-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624911-fe6fe787a0d4748686a8ee8d224350c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206573&Signature=MahevEwjrazvgQ7ydduheSB1fppm5XYvGBFRuvP10yJpY1iSKSP07eWxOufapN7b0mzNP2RPCYfCmzHeOo2MJ46nU7FNWwIK8lytyTCWRHQKprb1IHOSWksKHiDjZW2Akca9X9UKcY4uFn41N-3HL3oniCWh6ze7-Eo9x8hpsQ1uvN~mHsFS~UVZ8uOWkfV49CLtdVapLpEJD5n39x~7P2hZDKsrusjJ7CnaZq2lJlQT78MRh6f0ZEUACbp1~ADiNM3-GijC9NF7fCFSqu810iAkbgjiI2MSw1eWaLWlrsz8xkYOO2zfNUxeg6aIkISLzuKWqBNpporprQJn7KbVLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Cynthia Schreiberbeck introduced House Bill 12‑69, which would exempt the North Dakota Center for Distance Education (NDCDE) from certain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) procurement competition requirements for educational content, educational technology tools, and related services used to deliver K‑12 virtual instruction. \"The bill eliminates the OMB procurement requirement for contracts by the North Dakota Center for Distance Education for educational content, educational technology tools, and related services for virtual delivery of education to students in kindergarten through grade 12,\" Representative Schreiberbeck said.

Dr. Alyssa Martin, state director for NDCDE, testified the bill is intended to speed contracting and to reflect the practical realities of virtual course delivery. She told the committee the exemption would not remove state IT security vetting or other core contracting requirements: \"This first of all does not exempt us, from third party security reviews. ... We will continue to do that under this bill,\" Dr. Martin said. She said long procurement timelines — sometimes six months to a year — and a limited vendor pool for highly specialized integrations can delay access to curriculum and tools, including AI‑powered tutoring tools and frequent LMS updates. The bill would also exempt NDCDE from the statutory definition of “state forms,” which the center said can conflict with how student assignments and coursework are handled in learning management systems.

Chad Keach, state procurement officer at OMB, testified in support and said the engrossed bill modernizes an earlier administrative exemption granted in 2013 by placing the exemption into statute and narrowing it to educational content and technology for virtual delivery. Keach said the House amendment limited a broader original exemption to ensure NDCDE would still comply with state IT laws and standards.

Why it matters: supporters said the changes let NDCDE procure specialized vendors and deploy updates more quickly while preserving security and contract review. Dr. Martin described a recent example where procurement for an AI tool consumed months and delayed teacher training and student rollout. Keach told the committee the engrossed bill ensures NDCDE remains subject to information‑technology and security requirements even when procurement competition rules do not apply.

Committee action: after testimony from the sponsor, NDCDE and OMB representatives, the committee voted to report the bill favorably from committee. Committee members said they supported the limited, targeted exemption and praised the negotiated amendment language that preserved IT oversight.

Ending: the committee recorded a due‑pass recommendation and selected a committee member to carry the bill forward. Supporters asked the committee to adopt the engrossed amendment that narrows the exemption and retains compliance with state IT statutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Education Mar 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 12‑69 would place into statute a procurement exemption for the North Dakota Center for Distance Education that lets the center buy educational content and education technology for virtual K‑12 delivery without following certain OMB competition rules, while preserving IT security and contracting oversight.","taxTitle","Education, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28902,"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},6624915,"Bill would let school districts use in‑lieu revenues to reduce local contribution for building projects",1604,143000,1747000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764906-8000b33ec36ef67b15c299917a6beb28&start=143&end=1747","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764906-8000b33ec36ef67b15c299917a6beb28/thumbnail_143000.jpg","/articles/6624915/North-Dakota/Bill-would-let-school-districts-use-inlieu-revenues-to-reduce-local-contribution-for-building-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624915-44b06527d74bf46ea2a473fe395985cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206573&Signature=jAzK5pNnFQXRQmOpAlTXEaQ2IhxiwKJDUcl~kshKf0eBdJiPexg6oI-yL~yqTi8w11MBcGDwOyoZr8TMJN15ykFKyLjyubJ5zAf04pSawXE~BFgUHZAalBLQT2bNWE5zYYObkixkP5b2wziFWI-iRLNMJ8rPt9fOApnMAAIxwVAM~DvRvd6psn0bQ6f9qs~5dPAa6T5izmsNX-jAOjDQxhBAatWDk7Lc~~4D3YaAESE926JFXlwLVQYUBFwspYGjiOzXN~2ggL4oz6KNFuPdPzUzlo2ejfxq9dRUe-2HquxOHgwnDykf~PNWuOugR9ejXgs3G--9kmEBMBtGU9j-vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative David Richter introduced House Bill 11‑30 to the Senate Education Committee, saying the measure offers school districts a second option for calculating the local contribution used in the state school aid formula when those dollars are used for construction. \"House Bill 11‑30 comes out of the presentations and discussions with the interim school task force,\" Richter said as he described the proposal.

The bill would allow a district that passes a bond referendum to elect, for construction projects, to reduce the local contribution deduction by the share of its local contribution that comes from in‑lieu revenues (payments made to districts based on production rather than property valuation). Under current law districts use sinking and interest (bond) mill levies for certain deductions; HB 11‑30 would let districts choose either the existing sinking‑and‑interest‑based method or the new in‑lieu‑based calculation.

Why it matters: supporters say the change lets production‑based revenues (for example, certain oil, gas, telecommunications, or mobile home payments classified as in‑lieu revenue) be used to support voter‑approved construction without an equivalent reduction in state support. Steve Holden, superintendent of Mackenzie County School District No. 1 in Watford City, testified in favor and described the bill as, in practice, a form of property‑tax relief for construction: \"It it's property tax right now that is unable to be leveraged at the local level, without getting subtracted at the state level,\" Holden said.

How it would work: the bill calculates the percentage of a district’s total local contribution that is in‑lieu revenue and permits that percentage to be deducted for eligible building projects. Representative Richter walked the committee through sample district calculations in the handout he provided, showing example percentages that ranged widely by district (for example, one sample showed a 56.27% figure used in an illustration). Richter told the committee that roughly 60 districts have already passed bond referendums and would be eligible now and that the new option would likely affect 28–30 of those districts based on the fiscal note analysis.

Implementation questions and limits: committee members asked whether districts would be able to switch between option A (the existing sinking‑and‑interest method) and option B (the in‑lieu method) frequently. Richter said the calculation process makes annual switching impractical and that any minimum lock‑in likely would be at least a biennium — but he also said that a specific lock‑in provision was not written into the bill and would require an amendment. Committee members also asked how the bill would interact with a separate bill (House Bill 13‑81) altering the percentage used later in the aid formula; Richter said HB 13‑81’s percentage applies after the deductions in HB 11‑30 are computed, so HB 13‑81 would not change whether HB 11‑30 is calculated but HB 11‑30 would change the base to which HB 13‑81 is later applied.

Fiscal context and distribution: witnesses and the sponsor noted the fiscal note and its potential state cost; a committee member referenced a fiscal note dated Dec. 5. Richter and witnesses emphasized HB 11‑30 applies only to construction (sinking and interest debt) and is not an operating appropriation. They also said that results would vary by district: some large western districts that already have high sinking‑and‑interest mill levies would not take the new option because the existing sinking‑and‑interest deduction is more advantageous for them.

Public testimony: superintendent Steve Holden and others testified in support, stressing the difficulty districts face in aligning production‑based revenues with bond mill calculations and saying the bill helps equalize access to construction funding without changing operating dollars.

Status: the hearing concluded with questions but no committee vote recorded at this hearing. Committee discussion noted implementation details (lock‑in period, calculation timing) remain unsettled and may require amendment language.

Ending: committee members asked staff for lists of affected districts and for the fiscal detail that underpins the sample calculations. Sponsors and supporters signaled willingness to add clarifying language, particularly about the minimum period a district must remain on a chosen option.","House Bill 11‑30 would give school districts an option to count in‑lieu revenues toward the local contribution deducted in the state school aid formula when the money is used for construction, potentially shifting how state aid and local levies interact for districts that have passed bond referendums.",{"_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},6624906,"Committee sends study bill on special education teacher shortage to the full Senate",426,3684000,4110000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764906-8000b33ec36ef67b15c299917a6beb28&start=3684&end=4110","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764906-8000b33ec36ef67b15c299917a6beb28/thumbnail_3684000.jpg","/articles/6624906/North-Dakota/Committee-sends-study-bill-on-special-education-teacher-shortage-to-the-full-Senate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624906-bf63fc8dbfab6d68a700fae14d259d32/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206573&Signature=fJOn7tV7vZ41-wARnW4W12tX9H0RYtRCoh4A6kJrCb8XA9TiKNvwJFJM-HU0O6oP-cBA9P46I266fjuEQMkWSeMp~pvx8FVgHtzDazNj3tpOfxPp8ZJhXJJiGyi~mXgGooGqZC-Oc9zaesES5nI7g-w8ej9W~R4ongvJwOX3cPG3ZUvILbYRL~Za~UChgxYpz1Zm1Yl8rvfQxdH7~1vTiX3NokzI~eIUjqIrAALkGjUszCqnOZsGP-U7wtXUx~ZytZBMMOjFriyLqWjltRXkIKZQa8zJNHCa8rQMmK7Y5qqLEMBzsttN4-OXUyi4dwnsf8ya477suk9GUz5Wi7ORFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Mary Schneider introduced House Bill 15‑30, which calls for a legislative management study on circumstances and needs of special education teachers and the related shortage. \"House Bill 15‑30 seeks to address the critical issue of special education teacher shortages,\" Schneider said. The bill would direct a study of workload disparities, safety and crisis planning, paraprofessional management, paperwork burdens, and other systemic factors that affect recruitment and retention of special education professionals.

Multiple groups testified in support. Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, described a survey conducted by the union of 297 special education professionals representing 26 of 31 special education units in the state. Archuleta summarized key survey findings: \"71 percent report their workload has increased since they began working in special education; 86 percent report they currently feel overwhelmed by their special education workload; 44 percent report they are considering leaving special education,\" he told the committee. He also reported that respondents cited shortages of paraprofessionals, lack of prep time, and large caseloads as contributors to stress and turnover.

Michael Olsen of North Dakota Protection and Advocacy also testified in support, telling the committee special education staff are frequently expected to fulfill numerous regulatory and supervisory tasks without additional time or compensation. Olsen urged a due‑pass recommendation so the study can identify inequities and produce recommendations to improve recruitment, retention, and service delivery.

Committee discussion: senators noted prior and ongoing interim work (for example the governor‑directed teacher recruitment and retention task force) and discussed how the proposed study could complement earlier reviews by focusing specifically on special education workforce issues. One senator asked whether the interim task force had already examined the subset of special education issues; Schneider said some related work had occurred but that the detailed, SPED‑specific concerns had not been fully addressed.

Vote: the committee moved and seconded a do‑pass recommendation for House Bill 15‑30; the roll call closed with six yeas and the committee reported the bill out of committee.

Ending: sponsors and advocates asked legislative management to use the study to produce data‑driven recommendations to reduce workload, improve safety and paraprofessional support, and limit paperwork burdens that take time away from instruction.","House Bill 15‑30 would direct legislative management to study causes and needs related to the shortage of special education teachers, focusing on workload, safety, paperwork burdens, paraprofessional supervision and retention; the Senate Education Committee voted unanimously to give the bill a due‑pass recommendation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee backs bill to exempt Center for Distance Education from some OMB procurement and forms rules

Bill would let school districts use in‑lieu revenues to reduce local contribution for building projects

Committee sends study bill on special education teacher shortage to the full Senate