[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6269777,"mediaKeyId","3040569-8447b8a88451345eac9c800d7dc1ba26","parentId",3040569,"title","Committee advances higher-education budget with investments in student aid, challenge grants and campus projects","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1577000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040569-8447b8a88451345eac9c800d7dc1ba26&start=1577&end=1577","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040569-8447b8a88451345eac9c800d7dc1ba26/thumbnail_1577000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6269777/North-Dakota/Committee-advances-higher-education-budget-with-investments-in-student-aid-challenge-grants-and-campus-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269777-7c37e56597894754c795705c0d25828a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770811461&Signature=JGlL3j~9iqNUTRAPDYU5OhSEqpZTnECdzBOdmEKSPFNUq8bVZBlu7Qs-dPREdo6a-Q4DnoyGV06THLdeRX2JBFe8D4W95gzakAioveH7BxXLklW9udj1uQOshCeRJUU~yPhEHkgVqKm3wKYI7EPa9cmgDleHotejm6-GGFa7X1chSzeoeFOS8bC2Sin5WB35z9VIvEPB9WWL41N6WHaOcElGaSN~OGYyBqhLWx6Usykj2eidOA3rRLFefTBz7OH1uT9qNuq~NLa-lGhZU-XdNgYSFQTxWB2vkwHGFpTNY1v-6-FzkFCy~BBr1hJdnUj6g2KBTU3N259EF1kCKUCH8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","article","The House Appropriations Committee on Oct. 12 approved Senate Bill 2003, the higher-education budget, as amended after a multi-hour presentation and discussion about student aid, institutional funding formulas and campus projects.

Representative Sanford presented the budget overview, describing the state’s higher-education funding structure and three primary strategies the committee says are used to attract and retain students: needs-based grants and scholarships, a state challenge-grant program that leverages private gifts, and campus-administered tuition waivers. Sanford said institution-level funding exceeds $2 billion when tuition, room and board and research funding are included and noted the request would increase needs-based grants to about $32 million.

Sanford and committee members discussed a range of items in the bill. Notable provisions mentioned in committee testimony and handouts include:

- Needs-based grants: An increase in state support, with a presenter reference to roughly $32 million in state needs-based grant funding.
- Challenge grant program: Continued investment in a program that leverages foundation gifts and private donations; the presenter cited an institutional foundation balance nearing $180 million and noted gifts have matched state funds at roughly a 2-to-1 rate over time.
- Tuition waivers: Sanford said campuses currently waive about $40 million in tuition annually and that campuses use waivers strategically to recruit students and increase future formula payments tied to credits.
- Campus and program-specific items: Start-up and facility funding for Williston State’s health program, a UND National Security Corridor project to build a secure research facility (a SCIF) the presenter said could enable significant federal research partnerships over time, NDSU’s New Horizons workforce-focused initiative (presentation reference to $24 million in start-up support), Minot State’s purchase of a regional health sciences facility, Dickinson State deferred maintenance needs, and a list of capital projects funded from campus building funds.

Committee members asked detailed questions about enrollment, FTEs and program administration. Representative Meyer asked about additional FTEs for UND; presenters clarified many of those positions were appropriated in prior sessions and are being put to use as grant activity increases. Representative Murphy asked about differences in tuition waivers between research institutions and how campuses manage those waivers.

Members discussed language addressing the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The committee adopted intent language and an allocation of tiered building funds to support allied health facility planning and early work; the committee also discussed a non-binding goal that by 2030 some measures should aim for a high share of resident students in medical programs. Several amendments were offered on faculty grievance and hiring procedures; one proposal to explicitly reference State Board of Higher Education policy numbers in statute failed on a recorded vote after discussion about whether statute should lock in board policy references.

Representative Nathie moved the committee’s amendment package (document version 25.017.0.02027); Representative Steeman seconded. The amendment package carried on a recorded vote reported as 20 yes, 0 no and 3 absent; later the committee moved and passed a do-pass as amended on SB2003 by a recorded vote reported as 20 yes, 0 no and 3 absent. Representative Sanford will carry the bill to the floor.

Committee members recorded several excusals from voting on SB2003 because of conflicts of interest; Representative Martinson and Representative Berg were excused earlier in the discussion. Chancellor Mark Hagerott also addressed the committee to answer a member’s question about campus climate and student demonstrations; Hagerott described campuses as safe and said the system had not experienced the type of violent protests that have appeared elsewhere.

The bill includes formula adjustments, a 4% tuition increase allowance and 1% differential tuition authority for select programs, continued support for the challenge-grant model, investments in campus security and IT, and a prioritized list of building fund projects. The committee discussion emphasized workforce-aligned grants, campus-managed waivers used to recruit students, and system efforts to right-size program offerings where appropriate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations Apr 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House Appropriations Committee approved a do-pass as amended on Senate Bill 2003 after lengthy discussion about tuition waivers, needs-based grants, challenge grants, workforce-focused funding and several institution-specific projects; motions and amendments carried on recorded votes.","taxTitle","Appropriations, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28310,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6269782,"Appropriations committee amends judiciary budget to remove four FTEs moved to new guardianship office",605,1076000,1681000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040569-8447b8a88451345eac9c800d7dc1ba26&start=1076&end=1681","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040569-8447b8a88451345eac9c800d7dc1ba26/thumbnail_1076000.jpg","/articles/6269782/North-Dakota/Appropriations-committee-amends-judiciary-budget-to-remove-four-FTEs-moved-to-new-guardianship-office","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269782-6eaf01579303f3db8965824d7a2db69c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770811461&Signature=I46dcf7W-1qScmFU7bOZ9wKuwfJX6KEXqglMaDotvGde8CD9bPqgGIxnkhn98suc4YeL9v1UouO98UlOZH9FKuNOM3QUSN1ItDXpkXoNLqLWAHp-nDXEkMkRa7Cfpe4YHRb8GEFm9vdNJ25ELPR1ba5yvJuosU4t6pSN40L~z5WCF2HT7YphRlGk299vgP2zsvzpWnjDYi8PXptyaG4UA0ur7xXxLoM88Xyo5YsxJSprZfShjLtlxb~6lVNlY7qVZElk1WBQQQYNuv1r4LyBfPuS3pbnIbDQge-Mku3dHSLo5NJNDGT~0FyTThcfdtL54oYWJL~vPxuMPX~av5~HZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Appropriations Committee amended Senate Bill 2002 (the judiciary branch budget) on Oct. 12 to remove four full-time equivalent positions and related operating dollars that lawmakers moved to a newly created Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship.

Representative Lisa Hansen presented the amendment changes as a follow-up to the committee’s earlier action on SB2029. Hansen said the four positions — previously approved in the judiciary budget — are being transferred to the new office, and that the subtraction appears as roughly $205,000 in one operations line but also reflects a larger $894,000 adjustment moved from the new and vacant FTE pool. She said those amounts reflect how the judiciary budget is organized across multiple line groups (Supreme Court, District Court, Judicial Conduct Commission and the guardianship line) and that most of the effect comes from the vacant FTE pool rather than a single operating line.

Representative Nathie moved to reconsider the committee’s prior action on SB2002; Representative Hansen seconded. The committee adopted the amendment to remove the four FTEs; the motion to adopt carried on a recorded vote reported as 21 yes, 0 no and 2 absent. Hansen later moved a do-pass as amended on SB2002; the do-pass as amended motion also passed on the committee roll call reported as 21 yes, 0 no and 2 absent. The committee designated Representative Hansen as the carrier.

Members raised several clarifying questions during discussion. Representative Murphy asked about salary adjustments for Supreme Court justices and district judges; Hansen confirmed previously approved increases remain unchanged in this amendment (11.1% for justices, 12.1% for chief justice, and 7.7% for district judges) and that the only change in the current amendment was the transfer of the four FTEs. Hansen also said she consulted with the senators overseeing OMB and DHS budgets to align the various line items and funding sources during the transition.

The amendment leaves certain guardianship program funds in DHHS and OMB until the transition and removes the four positions and associated amounts from the judiciary budget to reflect their reassignment. The committee’s actions were procedural budget adjustments to reconcile the implications of creating a separate guardianship office.","Following amendments to SB2029, the committee reconsidered Senate Bill 2002 and amended the judiciary branch budget to remove four FTEs and associated operating funds; committee approved the amendment and returned SB2002 to the floor with a do-pass as amended vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6269787,"Committee moves funding, FTEs to create standalone Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship",648,504000,1152000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040569-8447b8a88451345eac9c800d7dc1ba26&start=504&end=1152","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040569-8447b8a88451345eac9c800d7dc1ba26/thumbnail_504000.jpg","/articles/6269787/North-Dakota/Committee-moves-funding-FTEs-to-create-standalone-Office-of-Guardianship-and-Conservatorship","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6269787-cbe3e0a36eb6be167bb8267fda6962fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770811461&Signature=WqaqjrWejVlTp6zSiBsF0AfEYU2Dh2g5OzKAxltE8zqbZp86AkuKxepbKjlh~RI9OkdF4wMQ8G4ssBdj02ZItXqBgCvNP-vu0BTMyAwM7gkkU6DOC2YIhCHQndmVNXelYwmEkVVOjPneBNCth25ELfN2h3WFAhalbQjpuu2QpNo0BVMerbv68QoBb23ixptxzr~NpvEBATij3EXbYtLPZiIq2CHOrfbpXRBnjuMqXkZpdE-PcuuKtKeEBIv8xLGPcJXbiNYU566VN1fPtZ~-6hgI0rTWybha3TicXmzcngG0dlqv814QLD1lEiJ7-nI0dG9-suE~Q8hbgkx3zE3n4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Appropriations Committee on Oct. 12 voted to amend Senate Bill 2029 to establish a standalone Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship and to transfer four full-time equivalent positions and related funding out of the judiciary branch.

Representative Lisa Hansen, who presented the amendment, told the committee the change follows action by the House Human Services Policy Committee to rehouse guardianship functions outside the judiciary because of concerns about the parties involved in that work. Hansen said four positions — an executive director, a court monitor, an account analyst and an administrative assistant — will move from the judiciary into the new office and that the package includes roughly $1,200,000 tied to those FTEs.

The amendment also delays transfer of existing program money and some line items currently held in the Department of Human Services and the Office of Management and Budget. Hansen said the measure creates a transition period and establishes an effective date of April 1, 2026, so the new office can begin hiring the four positions in July and the existing guardianship programs can move over nine months later \"to avoid gaps in services or checks to entities.\"

Representative Hansen moved the amendment; Representative Steeman seconded. The committee clerk conducted a roll call and the amendment carried on a recorded vote reported as 22 yes, 0 no and 1 absent. Hansen then moved a do-pass on SB2029 as amended; Steeman seconded and the do-pass as amended motion also passed on the committee roll call. The committee named Representative Fraylik as the bill carrier back to the floor.

Committee members who asked questions or commented included Representative Murphy, who sought clarifications about how the transfer would affect existing judiciary salary lines, and Representative Nelson and others who discussed ensuring continuity of grant payments and operations during the transition. Hansen and others said they had coordinated with senate budget managers overseeing OMB and DHHS to keep funding aligned during the transition.

The action transfers four approved FTEs and associated operation dollars out of the judiciary branch and preserves several program line items in their current agencies until the scheduled transition date. The committee record shows the amendment was intended to maintain continuity of services while creating centralized oversight and accountability for guardianship and conservatorship functions.

The committee did not reference any state statute or code section during the amendment discussion; the change was enacted as a budget and organizational amendment to SB2029. Representative Hansen will serve as the legislative contact on the measure as it moves forward.","The House Appropriations Committee amended Senate Bill 2029 to create a standalone Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, moving four FTEs and associated funding from the judiciary and delaying full program transfers until April 1, 2026; the amendment and a subsequent do-pass as amended motion passed on roll calls.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances higher-education budget with investments in student aid, challenge grants and campus projects

Appropriations committee amends judiciary budget to remove four FTEs moved to new guardianship office

Committee moves funding, FTEs to create standalone Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship