SB 2120 transfers $35.7 million from North Dakota's Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund to the Highway Patrol Troopers' Retirement System Fund. This transfer directly benefits highway patrol troopers by increasing the retirement fund's financial coverage to 90% of its required liability by January 2026. The funds will be used during the 2025-2027 biennium to strengthen the retirement system's financial stability. The bill is a straightforward financial adjustment with no new policy provisions.
Relating to national guard or federal service leave of absence for state and political subdivision employees and the definition of veteran; and to declare an emergency.
HB 1021 allocates $65,954,976 in state funds from the workforce safety and insurance fund to cover the operating expenses of North Dakota's workforce safety and insurance programs for the 2025-2027 biennium. The funding supports program operations and maintains 260.14 full-time equivalent positions dedicated to these services. This bill directly affects the state's workforce safety and insurance programs by ensuring they have dedicated funding for their ongoing operations during the specified two-year period.
HB 1393 would have created new licensing requirements for businesses offering "earned wage access" services in North Dakota - allowing workers to access part of their earned but unpaid wages before their regular payday. The bill would have required providers (excluding banks, payroll services, and employers offering early pay directly) to obtain a license from the Financial Institutions Commissioner, maintain $25,000 net worth, post a $50,000 bond, and pass background checks for fraud convictions. Key provisions defined terms like "earned income access transaction" and set rules for fees, consumer notices, and prohibited practices. This bill would have directly affected non-exempt companies seeking to offer early wage access, not workers or employers. (Note: The bill failed to pass in April 2025.)
HB 1007 appropriates $2,654,336 from North Dakota's general fund to cover the Department of Labor and Human Rights' expenses for the 2025-2027 biennium. The funding supports salaries ($2,787,854), operating costs ($378,407), and covers 13 full-time equivalent positions. This bill directly affects the department's budget operations without changing laws or policies.
HB 1599 creates a formal state leave sharing program for permanent North Dakota state employees. It allows employees to donate accrued annual or sick leave to colleagues facing pregnancy or severe, extreme, or life-threatening medical conditions (for themselves or immediate family), requiring medical certification. The program limits donated leave to four months per year, excludes temporary or contracted staff, and mandates the Office of Management and Budget to track usage and adopt implementing rules. This policy directly affects permanent state employees needing extended leave due to qualifying health circumstances.
HB 1177 amends North Dakota's public employees retirement system definition to include correctional officers who are enrolled in, but have not yet completed, a state-approved training course. This change directly affects correctional facility workers in North Dakota who are currently in training for their roles. The key provision expands eligibility for retirement benefits to these trainees by adding them to the official definition of "correctional officer" under the retirement system code. The bill does not change benefit amounts or eligibility for already certified officers.
SB 2135 amends North Dakota law to increase the biennial funding transfer to the firefighters' death benefits fund from $50,125 to $50,125 (correcting a typo in the bill text) and sets a $10,025 payment for survivors of firefighters who died while performing duties. The bill requires fire department chiefs or their designees to verify line-of-duty deaths before payments are made. It directly affects surviving family members of deceased firefighters and the state insurance commissioner who manages the fund. The changes became law after being signed by the governor on March 17, 2025.
Relating to exemptions from the employee classification system; and to repeal section 54‑52.5‑04 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to an incentive compensation plan for the state retirement and investment office.
HB 1608 would require North Dakota employers to grant employees at least 24 consecutive hours of leave for rest or religious observance on Sundays or recognized religious holidays, without restricting the duration. It prohibits employers from denying such leave and mandates that the labor commissioner investigate complaints, impose a $500 fine for violations, and may refer cases to a state attorney. Employers are exempt if leave denial results from an unavoidable emergency. The bill, which failed to pass the legislature in February 2025, is a proposed policy change affecting all North Dakota employees seeking religious leave.
