[{"_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",6624728,"mediaKeyId","2764913-071c0cfc1731beaeb22dfadbd394c845","parentId",2764913,"title","Senate committee reviews Tax Department budget; questions on PRC administration funding and Gentax costs","audioSeconds",3802,"startMs",472735,"endMs",4275660,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764913-071c0cfc1731beaeb22dfadbd394c845&start=472&end=4275","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764913-071c0cfc1731beaeb22dfadbd394c845/thumbnail_472735.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6624728/North-Dakota/Senate-committee-reviews-Tax-Department-budget-questions-on-PRC-administration-funding-and-Gentax-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624728-63d7c0135317a4e10524240605d98987/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139265&Signature=dmKmLyZ3lbd~sSbNlnduJJ2BszSh~koBnwO2xs5duVmSQK3iIIe33jHzXdbImSoaRfCpxYUqeukqJaxzh8tCLecZgx4VI0f41mBiZj~rIHRFYb3Egk2Zp~~ngsFfZLc1Do06w9FzBuzuuWrrFVQTVeW8FpIjFgBWwcOgoEuqRgP8xRr21L4OBx32AZdW~XlMu54wa3FdItF~pDifdRiR-6j0Waymz~PhuZR4baO8mFcRmH1OnBe2AR9h5Le39ls3RELsrw-uYpmtixzZGAGwkA8TnJl6Km212W-2HtU2xCo46GuF0Xz97bBopXycweeswWpL~06IKfdAr5-JZy-VLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate appropriations Government Operations Division examined the Department of Taxation’s budget (House Bill 106) in a detailed staff presentation and subsequent questioning. Committee members and department officials discussed multiple operating pressures and optional requests, including vendor costs for the GenTax software, potential administrative funding for a primary residence credit (PRC), a salary equity package, and shifts in homestead and disabled veterans tax-credit appropriations.

Adam (department staff) walked the committee through differences between the executive (Armstrong) and House versions of the budget, noting few differences at the top-line items (salary, health insurance, and vacancy pool funding) and identifying several areas where the House and executive diverged. Sherry Anderson (chief fiscal officer) and Tax Commissioner Brian Croches answered member questions.

Key figures and requests discussed:
- PRC administrative funds: The tax department has an outstanding request for $1,500,000 to develop and administer a PRC-style program (software development, marketing, estimated programming costs). That amount appears in fiscal notes for related bills but is not yet appropriated in the House budget; committee members discussed whether to include the amount in HB 106 or leave it to a standalone bill and then provide administrative funding later.
- Equity package: The department requested $511,000 in equity pay adjustments to address pay gaps for certain classifications; that request was not included in the House version and remains under consideration.
- GenTax vendor and IT costs: GenTax vendor (Gentax) increase was described as roughly 10%; NDIT IT rate increases were described as roughly 25% in some areas. The department said they negotiated vendor rates down from higher proposals.
- Homestead and disabled-veteran tax credits: The committee reviewed base appropriations and projections. The homestead tax credit appropriation in the base was reported as $72.4 million, with the House reducing about $11.8 million (reflecting updated projections; the department projects actual biennial need around $40–41 million). The disabled-veteran tax credit baseline was discussed (base numbers given in testimony and the possible impact of Representative Pyle’s bill to change thresholds, which could add approximately $7.4 million).
- Matching/grant language (House Bill 1591): The committee had previously adopted an amendment cutting a proposed appropriation and adding match language. Members asked whether in-kind contributions might be inflated and said they expected department guidelines to set valuation rules.

Committee members asked staff to prepare draft amendments and long‑sheet adjustments that would (a) add the $1.5 million PRC administrative funding to the budget as either one-time or ongoing, (b) show the effect of the $511,000 equity request, and (c) reflect NDIT/IT rate increases. Members noted the practical difficulty of pre-funding PRC administration before policy certainty; staff recommended a conservative approach (include one-time funding now or await the vehicle bill), and the committee discussed contingency options.

Several members emphasized procedural flexibility: the tax department already has some authority to transfer funds between homestead and disabled-veteran line items; the department requested that, if the PRC becomes a new funding source, the budget include transfer authority or line-item flexibility to avoid deficiencies. The committee recessed at the end of the tax-department segment to continue other business.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division Mar 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate appropriators examined the Department of Taxation’s 2025–27 budget (House Bill 106), pressing officials about Gentax vendor increases, proposals for $1.5 million in PRC administrative funding, a $511,000 equity pay request, and how homestead and disabled-veterans credit funding would be handled.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Government Operations Division, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28900,"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},6624722,"Senate reviews Attorney General’s budget; FTEs, litigation pool, lab and cyber needs discussed",1567,7200245,8767460,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764913-071c0cfc1731beaeb22dfadbd394c845&start=7200&end=8767","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764913-071c0cfc1731beaeb22dfadbd394c845/thumbnail_7200245.jpg","/articles/6624722/North-Dakota/Senate-reviews-Attorney-Generals-budget-FTEs-litigation-pool-lab-and-cyber-needs-discussed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624722-f98fa1943c389d4d3cd71f324172b3b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139265&Signature=akh0RBtqJRYDJcN9KULCSqrI4iLPAj~zOhFfhW~p3R9ogUwqKUMtueMFrgVFG5I0GDn~tlwO1bjQwM9cX27t0UsSpCPn8Y-GbhfA0cskpIlkXSbuICJbcYa0bBwLV9xM2Z~diQpLT1SYsrTYOqzlZc2ibLZ17JkRJOrnW0z0B3~rN-tAz-Kipcic~vSlKh6~CFGy2Kgp~gdHynUsaz3ufsTDkJLbEyO7tZCVe2ZKllDc51H5C2IJpk1XNWXVkiEYOeRpv8~sZPIfvH6jrTF7ScHTf-CG9nK2HtdewSJlDw35A7ACVH0xcKfnUTpd4EwyYKXh0ftx4ZcBKGNDoafP~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate appropriations Government Operations Division took testimony on the Attorney General’s 2025–27 budget (House Bill 1003). Deputy Attorney General Claire Ness, Attorney General office finance director Becky Keller, BCI Director Lonnie Grabowski, and staff briefed senators on staffing, operating needs, and optional decision packages.

FTE requests and staffing:
- The Attorney General requested 15 new FTE in its original submission. The Armstrong executive budget included funding for five of those positions; the House approved four positions (evidence technician, Medicaid fraud control unit attorney, executive staff officer, and a tobacco compliance auditor). The department said the evidence technician and Medicaid fraud control attorney had strong support because substantial federal funding covers part of those roles.
- Several existing vacant positions were discussed. Some vacancies (for example, a paralegal-to-attorney reclassification and other attorney vacancies) have been actively recruited; the agency reported several recent hires for gaming positions and others.
- Cybercrime information-processing workload: the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has grown its agent count without equivalent increases in report-processing staff. The department requested information-processing FTE to clear backlogs; committee members heard there are as many as 200 reports awaiting processing at times.
- Victim-witness advocates: two temporary advocates are currently funded from temporary salary lines and prior federal grants; the department requested making them full-time general-funded positions to ensure continuity. Director Grabowski explained that if federal grant support returns, the office would use those federal funds to support an additional (third) position to cover central North Dakota.

Budget and operating items:
- Tobacco compliance auditor: the House included a tobacco compliance auditor position tied to a registry fee (electronic smoking/device manufacturer fee). The department warned the registry’s per-product $500 fee may not generate sufficient revenue to cover the full salary; if fees don’t suffice, the department proposed supplementing from Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) tobacco funds.
- Equity request: the Attorney General requested approximately $291,777 for pay equity adjustments to bring underpaid employees closer to midpoints; the House did not include this request.
- Litigation pool: the agency requested and the House added one-time and other-fund adjustments. The department explained large litigation costs in recent biennia (including DAPL-related costs) and said the litigation pool is routinely used to bring in outside counsel for high-cost cases or to support other agencies that need outside counsel. The House increased the litigation pool authority; some of the added funding was from special funds (SIF) and gaming-related transfers.
- Crime lab and equipment: the House added $192,000 for crime-lab maintenance/service agreements and other one-time equipment costs for gas-chromatograph/mass-spectrometers, thermal cyclers, purification water systems, and similar items; the department said maintenance agreements are cost-effective to avoid downtime on expensive equipment.

Other items and contingency issues:
- Guardianship oversight (Senate Bill 2029): the department described potential resource needs if the guardianship oversight bill is enacted. The office estimated needing four additional BCI agents and one prosecutor to investigate and prosecute offenses that could arise under a new guardianship oversight program; committee members asked for long-sheet estimates and for contingency language that would make any additional FTEs/funding conditional on the enactment of that policy bill.

Committee direction: senators asked staff to prepare long-sheet and amendment language to reflect optional items (equity pay package, litigation pool adjustments, possible contingent FTEs for guardianship oversight) and asked the department to provide further data on cybercrime report backlogs and anticipated tobacco registry revenues.","The Senate took up the Attorney General’s budget (House Bill 1003), examining staffing requests, litigation funding and crime-lab equipment, and discussing resource needs if a new guardianship oversight statute becomes law.",{"_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},6624729,"Senate Government Ops adopts amendment to House Bill 1591; sends bill forward",401,57780,459475,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2764913-071c0cfc1731beaeb22dfadbd394c845&start=57&end=459","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2764913-071c0cfc1731beaeb22dfadbd394c845/thumbnail_57780.jpg","/articles/6624729/North-Dakota/Senate-Government-Ops-adopts-amendment-to-House-Bill-1591-sends-bill-forward","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624729-298186c4351f862099d69d465d83ff63/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139265&Signature=APje9zJ0QdmE9PIDv5oc6LDpBKsfU7XIZjIC6KyfDvwoNLjGVFnShMjiEXfAblBHEUx8D~tDV8wWqWsKi8Go6mVPU2cvFIh2W5SCC1iAfQRyT3lfs92dYV8XKZYQQfTj22NiIeWYQX0BJN4cqTSvyEAsGrZq2EctfApCt5~P3z0qXS9IwNn50y6xs60tJ-miA44ueWk7vpMlvjO6tAsvvDYoGVEOmX6-JOQyjel7ZCGfVa4PPXQ09AbcS5zV6kbnLepYyoCJx15mb7k8bTReyEgRLty3qxWRG2CZw20ZgJ-rjNvspF5aA9HUBfL-oZCMTL9407NqB0BM7q7ehZYWnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Appropriations — Government Operations Division Chair opened the session and, after brief preliminary remarks, the panel considered amendment 3001 to House Bill 1591. Senators moved and seconded the amendment and then voted by roll call.

The amendment reduced a proposed appropriation from $3,000,000 to $1,500,000 and added language to require grant matching from non-state sources, allowing matching in cash or in-kind and setting parameters that guidelines may provide for matching funds at between $1 and $2 of grant money received for $1 of prior or local contribution.

Senator Sickler moved the amendment and Senator Eberly seconded. On roll call the amendment was adopted with recorded “aye” votes by Senators Sickler, Herberly, Burkhart, Wanczyk and others present. Following that vote, Senator Eberly moved a do-pass as amended motion, seconded by Senator Sickler. The committee took a roll-call on the do-pass-as-amended motion and recorded the bill as passed out of the Government Ops division to the full committee.

Committee members discussed the proposed matching language and asked whether “up to $2” meant an exact discrete choice (1:1 or 1:2) or a sliding scale; the resident attorney advised that the text as written permitted any ratio between 1 and 2 but that the commissioner and committee had expressed intent around a 1:1 or 1:2 match. Members also pressed whether in-kind contributions (labor, for example) could inflate matching claims; committee members said they expected department guidelines to define valuation and guard against abuse.

The committee clerk called the roll for the amendment and for the subsequent do-pass-as-amended motion; votes were recorded and the amended bill was carried to the next stage.","The Senate appropriations Government Operations Division voted to adopt amendment 3001 to House Bill 1591 and moved the bill forward via a do-pass as amended motion after a roll-call vote.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate committee reviews Tax Department budget; questions on PRC administration funding and Gentax costs

Senate reviews Attorney General’s budget; FTEs, litigation pool, lab and cyber needs discussed

Senate Government Ops adopts amendment to House Bill 1591; sends bill forward