Relating to a rail revolving loan fund and uses of the abandoned oil and gas well plugging and site reclamation fund; to amend and reenact subsection 7 of section 6‑08.1‑02 and sections 6‑09‑35, 6‑09‑46.2, 6‑09.7‑05, 6‑09.14‑04, and 49‑17.1‑02.1, subsection 1 of section 54‑17‑40, and subdivision a of subsection 4 of section 54‑17.7‑04 of the North Dakota Century Code, and section 15 of chapter 14 of the 2023 Session Laws, relating to confidential and exempt records of the Bank of North Dakota, the rebuilders loan program, loan guarantees through the strategic investment and improvements fund, interest rate buydown limits for the partnership in assisting community expansion fund, department of transportation review and approval of rail projects, uses of the housing incentive fund, North Dakota pipeline borrowing authority, and a salt cavern underground energy storage research project; to repeal section 3 of Senate Bill No. 2188, as approved by the sixty-ninth legislative assembly, relating to a transfer from the strategic investment and improvements fund to the clean sustainable energy fund; to provide a deficiency appropriation; to provide for a transfer; to provide an exemption; to provide for a legislative management study; to provide for a legislative management report; to provide for a report; to provide an effective date; and to declare an emergency.
SB 2225 appropriates $50 million from North Dakota's Strategic Investment Fund to the Department of Commerce for grants supporting housing infrastructure. The bill provides funding to local communities (with allocations based on population size) to lower costs for infrastructure needed for market-rate housing projects, requiring a 1:1 match from local governments, developers, and private funds. Communities must use the funds for infrastructure like roads or utilities to support new housing, with reporting requirements to the legislature by June 2026. The program expires June 30, 2027, and aims to address housing needs in both urban and rural areas.
Relating to the creation of the city, county, and township road fund; to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 39‑04‑19.2, section 54‑27‑19, subsection 1 of section 57‑43.1‑02, and subsection 1 of section 57‑43.2‑02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle road use fee, the tax imposed on motor vehicle and special fuels, and the highway tax distribution fund; and to provide an effective date.
HB 1444 amends North Dakota law to clarify the process for adding local roads to the county road system. It requires county commissioners to notify townships when a road meets criteria under section 24-05-16 and is under township jurisdiction, and to hold a public meeting for community input before making a final decision. This directly affects county commissioners, townships, and residents who use these local roads, ensuring transparency in road system expansion. The bill does not change road maintenance responsibilities but adds a procedural step for community engagement.
SB 2183 revises the penalty for speeding in construction zones in North Dakota. It directly affects drivers who exceed speed limits in these areas. The bill amends the existing law (North Dakota Century Code § 39-06.1-06) to change the penalty structure for such violations, though the abstract does not specify the exact nature of the penalty change.
HB 1294 amends North Dakota's traffic code to adjust fees for moving violations, directly affecting drivers convicted of specific traffic offenses. It sets a base fee of $20 for most moving violations but increases fees for certain offenses, including $150 for a first violation of passing a stopped schoolbus (Section 39-10-46) and $750 for repeat violations within five years. The bill also specifies higher fees for other violations, such as $100 for speeding in school zones (Section 39-08-20) or $500 for certain commercial vehicle offenses (Section 39-10-59). These changes are codified in Sections 39-06.1-06, 39-10-46, and 39-10-46.1 of the North Dakota Century Code.
This North Dakota concurrent resolution urges the federal government, Congress, and the North Dakota Governor to end the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, which provides contracting preferences for certain businesses. It cites the program's alleged cost burdens on contractors and references a court case (Mid-America Milling Co. v. USDOT) finding its race-based criteria potentially unconstitutional. The resolution specifically directs North Dakota's Department of Transportation to terminate its DBE program and supports legal efforts to eliminate the program. As a symbolic resolution, it expresses legislative position but does not change current law.
HB 1037 allocates $750,000 to each of five state departments (agriculture commissioner, attorney general, transportation department, health and human services, and career and technical education) for grants to support autonomous technology use. It provides funding for agriculture businesses to inspect property with drones, law enforcement for missing persons searches and crime scenes, and transportation entities to monitor highways using uncrewed aircraft systems. Recipients must match state funds at a 1:4 ratio and report grant usage to the legislature. The funds are one-time, covering the 2025-2027 biennium, with each department required to submit reports detailing grant recipients and expenditures.
HB 1182 allocates $611,000 from North Dakota's Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund to Dickey County for a specific road project. The funding would replace a culvert system and raise the road grade to address recurring flooding on a local road. This one-time appropriation is intended for the 2025-2027 biennium and directly supports Dickey County's infrastructure needs. The bill does not create new regulations but provides targeted financial support for a flood mitigation project.
HB 1202 would allocate $3 million from North Dakota's flexible transportation fund to a specific county impacted by a state supreme court case involving a drainage project. The grant, intended for a single two-year period (2025-2027), covers project costs including litigation expenses, inflation adjustments, and other drainage-related expenditures. It overrides standard fund designation rules under section 24-02-37.3, directing the Department of Transportation to distribute the funds as a one-time grant. The bill failed to pass in committee and on the floor during the 2025 legislative session.
