SB 2158 North Dakota Senate · 69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26)

AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-12-29 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the distribution of the unobligated cash balance of a dissolved school district.

SB 2158 amends North Dakota law concerning the financial assets of school districts. It specifically addresses how any remaining "unobligated cash balance" - money left after a district's debts are paid - is distributed when a school district is dissolved. These amendments will clarify the process for allocating these surplus funds, impacting dissolved districts and the entities designated to receive their remaining assets.

Bill status signed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Jan 2025

House Failed

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Signed Apr 17, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

FIRST ENGROSSMENT → Enrollment · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill amends the law governing how unspent money from dissolved school districts is distributed. It clarifies that remaining funds can be used as tax credits for property owners or distributed to other political subdivisions, and it adds an emergency clause to allow immediate implementation.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the distribution of unobligated cash balances from dissolved school districts, but it adds clarity on the order of distribution and introduces an emergency provision.

REQUIREMENT

Added an emergency clause to allow the bill to take effect immediately without waiting for the next legislative session.

Clarified the sequence of fund distribution: tax credits for property owners must be processed first before any remaining funds can be distributed to other political subdivisions or school districts.

TECHNICAL

Corrected a typo in the text, changing 'provideproviding' to 'providing' for clarity.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 23, 2025 · House Apr 4, 2025

How they voted

38–9

Passed

Total votes 47

Jan 23, 2025

D Democratic5

5 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican42

33 Yea 9 Nay

78% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 18, 2025

Introduced

Filed with Secretary Of State 04/17

legislature

Apr 17, 2025

Signed into law

Signed by Governor 04/15

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Second reading, passed, yeas 59 nays 31

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported back, do not pass, placed on calendar 7 2 4

lower

Mar 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee Hearing 11:00

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Introduced

Introduced, first reading, (emergency), referred Political Subdivisions Committee

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Second reading, passed, yeas 38 nays 9, Emergency clause carried

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Amended

Amendment failed

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Amendment proposed on floor

upper

Jan 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

Amendment adopted

upper

Jan 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported back amended, without recommendation 6 0 0

upper

Jan 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee Hearing 02:00

upper

Jan 7, 2025

Introduced

Introduced, first reading, (emergency), referred Finance and Taxation Committee

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors