Julianne Horntevet, Executive Director of the North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities, told the appropriation division the council is a federally funded entity that awards grants and contracts to test innovations and support self‑advocacy, inclusion and other goals in the council’s five‑year state plan.

Horntevet said the DD Council receives a federal “minimum allotment” that requires no state match and that council membership must include a 60% majority of people with disabilities or family members. The council funds pilot projects, research and training, and conducts outreach across the state; recent initiatives include Olmstead plan support, a peer‑to‑peer researcher study, inclusive child care pilots and housing projects such as work with the Lisonbee Center in Grand Forks.

Horntevet said the council typically funds work through grants and contracts and that its project period structure requires relatively quick spending of federal funds. She said the council is proposing additional staff (one FTE for inclusion work and a part‑time public‑policy position) to implement and scale more initiatives directly rather than relying solely on grants. The proposal increases salaries, benefits and operating costs tied to travel and outreach. Horntevet said the spending rules are use it or lose it and that the council operates on a three‑year project/liquidation cycle.

Ending: Lawmakers asked clarifying questions about carryover rules and program sustainability; Horntevet said the council has operated since the 1970s, receives annual federal appropriations and would use federal funds to cover any additional staff if approved.