HB 1524 creates a formal grant program allowing North Dakota's Department of Commerce to fund regional planning councils. The bill directs the department to award grants supporting local implementation of state programs like housing, workforce development, rural economic initiatives, and local food systems, subject to annual legislative funding. These grants can cover program execution, resource development, and efforts to attract public or private investment in communities. The law, signed by the governor in May 2025, directly affects regional planning councils and the local communities they serve.
HB 1023 provides $10,898,654 in state funding for North Dakota's public employees' retirement system for the 2025-2027 biennium. The appropriation covers salaries, operating expenses, and contingencies to cover the system's ongoing operational costs. This bill directly affects the retirement system's ability to pay benefits and manage its finances, supporting state public employees who rely on this system. It is a routine funding measure with no new policy changes, solely allocating existing state funds.
HB 1602 changes North Dakota's public employee retirement system by closing the traditional defined benefit plan to new hires starting January 1, 2025. Instead, new permanent employees (excluding those in specific exception roles like teachers, law enforcement, or university staff) must join a defined contribution retirement plan. Existing members who joined before 2025 remain in the defined benefit plan, and political subdivisions (like cities or counties) may choose whether to participate in the new defined contribution plan. The bill clarifies that local governments are not required to offer either retirement plan, and no fees apply if they withdraw from the defined contribution system.
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 1179 would require North Dakota's public institutions of higher education to provide faculty members with at least a 12-month appointment 24 days of paid time off annually. It mandates institutions to track accrued time off, sets a limit of 30 days to carry over into the next year, and requires payment for unused time upon termination (capped at 54 days total). Institutions failing to implement this by August 1, 2025, would need to grant 54 days of paid time off to faculty by January 1, 2026. The bill directly affects faculty at all public colleges and universities governed by the state board of higher education.
SB 2131 would change how North Dakota distributes state funds to workforce training centers. It requires the state board to allocate 60% of funding equally among all centers, 20% based on each center's average annual training hours over the prior three years, and 20% based on each center's average number of unique participants over the same period. The bill directly affects all designated workforce training centers in the state by altering their funding formula. The bill was introduced in 2025 but failed to pass the legislature on February 17, 2025, with 16 votes in favor and 29 against.
SB 2306 proposes a program to address child care staffing shortages by providing monthly payments to licensed early childhood providers in North Dakota. The bill would require the state to pay providers $50 per infant, $30 per toddler, and $15 per school-aged child enrolled, based on quarterly reports of average enrollment. To qualify, providers must not have received a corrective action order in the past three months and must submit annual reports detailing how funds were used to improve staff salaries and benefits. This bill directly affects licensed child care centers and family child care homes by offering financial incentives tied to enrollment levels. The program aims to retain and recruit child care workers through direct support for provider compensation needs.
