The Senate Workforce Development Committee held a hearing on House Bill 14‑98, a measure introduced by Representative Roger Mackey to restore school boards' authority to pay a signing bonus to teachers in their first year in a North Dakota district if the teacher did not teach in a North Dakota school the prior year. Committee members heard unanimous support from education groups, Career and Technical Education (CTE) officials and rural superintendents who said the tool helps small districts recruit teachers.

Representative Roger Mackey (District 26) said the bill "gives the ability to a school district to pay a bonus to hire new teachers." He told the committee the bill restores language inadvertently removed in the last legislative session and that the House approved the measure 89‑4 with one absent.

Amy Copas, executive director of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders, said the restored language would permit school boards to offer a first‑year signing bonus only to an individual who "did not teach in a North Dakota school the prior year," a restriction intended to prevent poaching of teachers from other North Dakota districts. Copas also asked that CTE center boards be granted the same authority; the bill was amended in the House to include that authority for center boards.

Wade Sick, state director for Career and Technical Education, confirmed CTE center boards — made up of member district representatives — had asked for the same flexibility so centers could recruit instructors who typically come from industry.

Representatives of teachers' and education organizations also testified. Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, said his group supported the bill's concept while noting that terms and conditions of employment are typically set at the bargaining table; he and others urged targeting bonuses to hard‑to‑fill positions. Superintendents from small districts described practical uses: Rick Diegel, superintendent of the Kidder County School District, said small districts use signing bonuses selectively and sometimes structure them across multiple years to retain teachers. Diegel described typical ranges: "Anywhere between a thousand to up to maybe $5,000 is typically the range" for a signing bonus, and some districts place higher amounts in later years to encourage retention.

Committee members clarified that the bill imposes no immediate state fiscal note because bonuses would be paid at the option of local boards within their budgets; testimony stated bonuses do not count toward negotiated salary steps or continuing contract calculations. No committee vote on the bill was recorded during this hearing; the committee closed the hearing and adjourned for the day.