A conference committee convened to reconcile House Bill 1018 discussed moving several local grants into the Department of Commerce, recommended lowering a donation pledge threshold to 33% to unlock $15 million in SIF funds, and left a $1 million grant for Medora (the town) to be finalized at a later meeting.

Committee members agreed that several small, locally directed grants should be handled in Commerce rather than in the HB1018 appropriations line. Members discussed removing funding for the Fargo Theatre, Ellendale and other small direct grants from this bill and noted that Medora transportation improvements that funded a trolley program had already been cut from the appropriation being considered in this committee.

Members also discussed changing the pledge percentage tied to a military gallery or related capital project so the state could unlock $15,000,000 in SIF funds. The committee debated reducing the pledge requirement from the Senate’s 50% level to 33%; committee papers cited that a 33% pledge would equate to about $12,795,592 in pledged donations and that roughly 10 donations were already in hand. No final amendment to the bill text was adopted at this meeting.

The committee revisited a $2,000,000 line originally tied to America’s 250th celebration activities. Committee participants discussed returning to a $2,000,000 allocation split with $1,000,000 for a capital display in Bismarck and $1,000,000 for Medora-area planning, rather than the Senate’s allocation that directed $1,000,000 specifically to Medora. Members said Medora-area stakeholders told them that if federal or high-profile guests attend the planned events, security needs could be a major expense; one member described security as the primary intended use for the $1,000,000 Medora allocation. The committee agreed it had broad agreement on most items and would prepare amendment language for final review but that the $1,000,000 portion for Medora would require one more meeting to finalize details.

Committee members also noted language previously drafted for military gallery signage and an emergency clause; that language had been circulated and was accepted in principle pending placement in the formal amendment. The group recessed briefly during the meeting to gather updated information and reconvened to finalize outstanding items.

No formal roll-call vote on any appropriation or amendment was taken during the session excerpted in the transcript. Committee leadership said they would draft an amendment that captures the agreed changes and likely reconvene to approve the final language and the remaining Medora allocation.

What happens next: The committee plans to assemble the agreed changes into an amendment and to meet again—possibly later the same day—to finalize the outstanding $1,000,000 allocation for Medora and to adopt the compiled amendment into the conference report.