The North Dakota House of Representatives voted 68-22 on April 3 to pass Senate Bill 2218, approving a one-time $500,000 appropriation from the State Investment Fund to support the North Dakota Firefighters Association’s purchase of a building and associated renovations.

The appropriation was the subject of extended floor debate after the House Appropriations Committee recommended a "do not pass" position. Representative Murphy, speaking for the committee, said the committee concluded there were alternative funding sources and questioned whether state involvement was necessary after committee review. Despite that recommendation, several members urged support, stressing the NDFA’s statewide training role.

Supporters, including Representative Pyle, argued the association performs a unique, state-recognized duty: developing, coordinating and certifying firefighter training across North Dakota (as cited during debate). Proponents described the request as a one-time down payment to stabilize the association’s operations after it moved into a new leased facility and said the purchase would save money compared with continued renting and additional facility needs.

Opponents raised procedural and policy questions. Representative Wagner said the association entered the lease before seeking legislative funding and questioned why the organization proceeded without prior legislative authorization. Committee testimony and floor questions also sought basic program details — for example, the number of firefighters trained annually — which committee members said were not provided in appropriations hearings. On the floor Representative Biles later said more than 12,000 firefighters, both volunteer and career, received training from the NDFA in 2024.

The bill’s supporters said the funding would be a single payment and that the association planned professional fundraising to cover remaining costs. The appropriations committee record presented to the House said the NDFA requested $500,000 from the SIF Fund to aid in purchasing a building; the committee reported a 12–10–1 vote to recommend do not pass, while the full House ultimately passed the bill.

The House record shows the final roll-call tally as 68 yea and 22 nay; the clerk declared Senate Bill 2218 passed.

Votes and next steps: With passage in the House the bill is recorded as having passed this chamber. The transcript does not identify a subsequent engrossment action or an effective date in the floor remarks. The text of the appropriation and conditions (if any) were not printed in the floor summary included in the transcript.