[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6315061,"mediaKeyId","2381291-02586478282df4bdc7cde40970d735be","parentId",2381291,"title","Appropriations Committee advances NDIT budget with cybersecurity, siren staffing and continuing-appropriation language","audioSeconds",1434,"startMs",340000,"endMs",1774000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381291-02586478282df4bdc7cde40970d735be&start=340&end=1774","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381291-02586478282df4bdc7cde40970d735be/thumbnail_340000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6315061/North-Dakota/Appropriations-Committee-advances-NDIT-budget-with-cybersecurity-siren-staffing-and-continuing-appropriation-language","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315061-14e15ae9a1150d2875335b5d781bb841/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144539&Signature=Ca1Kfmb5LPOOhWGzAh1--xLlTetoNg7FoDyMHDlLidyl4ntr1C8eJNPBmB5fUC2rhS-pDGGxwrvcrv9jRz5m4bAjn1ZSmrBGeJ1jENvvHU1weSM2Mkrjsm9LEB9SL1cZ5QANMqMGSdZ2FnGW7amovnrVX8ZnawP4Cvk5Sn7yvdjrXvYbMoRpJVCa8eL0dXw~F~JXJcf6Z6w8cVgFHhtQoCYIa3xkpzA88xeu5RiYQhMyXWHBlDK2UI13SWeCeMhR~cxqaqJZvyxf20hZ3xB9igfSX5hv0tndh6ob33ZvfwbvrxGU4InCD61K4TFNw-KRaLPxPlDc1oKWLgZtALaiww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 2021, the Information Technology Department budget, approving an amendment and a due-pass as amended and sending the bill to the floor.

The budget includes funding adjustments across payroll, special funds and federal funds; it restores $4.1 million from the general fund for cybersecurity contracts (a reduced request from $5.1 million), adds two full-time employees tied to the statewide interoperable radio network (the “siren” system) and directs $3.0 million for the state health information exchange plus access to a $3.0 million Bank of North Dakota loan fund.

Why it matters: committee members said the bill addresses increasing cybersecurity needs and the operations of recently built public-safety communications infrastructure but raised transparency concerns about language that would allow a continuing appropriation for NDIT operating funds.

Senator Davison, who led the presentation in committee, said the department had asked for six new staff positions for the siren system but the committee approved two. “They asked for 5.1. We put 4.1 back in there,” Davison said, describing the committee’s decision to partially restore funding for a Palo Alto cybersecurity contract the department identified as a priority.

During discussion members focused on a provision that would create a continuing appropriation for the state information technology operating fund. Davison and other senators said the provision aims to prevent double counting when agencies pass funds back to NDIT, while staff raised concerns that continuing appropriation language can reduce transparency about where dollars are spent. Levi, a committee staff member, described the language as granting continuing-appropriation authority but said reporting requirements remain. Larry, another staff member, noted federal rules that govern how much cash the department may carry and said NDIT’s central service fund is subject to federal OMB A-87 limits that restrict profit-making and cap carryover balances.

Other highlights:
- Two new FTEs added for the interoperable radio network operations; the governor had requested six.
- $4.1 million general fund added for cybersecurity contracts to cover a prioritized Palo Alto contract after identifying coverage gaps across state and higher-education budgets.
- $3.0 million general fund for the health information network plus access to a $3.0 million Bank of North Dakota loan fund for the same program; committee members urged the department to spend existing loan-fund balances before requesting new appropriations.
- Reductions in the statewide longitudinal data system and Edutech compared with the governor’s request; modest changes to GIS and the K–12 network support.
- Committee language clarifying line-item transfer authority and technical cleanups to rename the operating account to the state information technology operating fund.

The committee approved the amendment and then the bill as amended by recorded roll-call; the clerk recorded the affirmative responses and the chair declared the motion carried.

The bill will move to the floor with the continuing-appropriation language preserved; committee members said the budget will go to conference if differing language is adopted later.

The committee recessed to continue other budget work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations Monday, Feb 24, 2025 7:58 AM - 9:43 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 2021, the Information Technology Department budget, approving an amendment and a due-pass as amended and sending the bill to the floor.","taxTitle","Appropriations, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28312,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6315052,"Committee moves bill to shift state employee plan out of ACA ‘grandfathered’ status; delays effective date and uses reserve fund",2680,3562000,6242000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381291-02586478282df4bdc7cde40970d735be&start=3562&end=6242","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381291-02586478282df4bdc7cde40970d735be/thumbnail_3562000.jpg","/articles/6315052/North-Dakota/Committee-moves-bill-to-shift-state-employee-plan-out-of-ACA-grandfathered-status-delays-effective-date-and-uses-reserve-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315052-7cfd68712843a0cc839f10d24805509f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144539&Signature=TffdTrv~0fVcB7d5M8EKvqnKuMiz60ZqJkxI9JDxwGT2X-6sUsAqvViCqEg9XUBW4mxyF6jqW3o9aCRf3IAzl05nZFga74X1YXi5DtVgRQO~edx~CsBdo3RbMmxYr7zKqr2doHtiAl1esAIhQyxbH5dePOOh9k6qGbFr5VtVCcu6yurwlqiUtb894ESUwJkWmuP6qoIOKcJCH2YiMQL7P~dih~podWO8A~UE7060m48Qtwspbyq91xGvwg72mNfBkwkld3yGh2hu4qP4-rD8~J4FhyG6MnjlQj6vQFf1Gd6H3p-RJkIMSXSHcuIJPkrue5wSO1o6VDnKVjZqFd15Cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to Senate Bill 2160 that changes the state employee health plan from a grandfathered status under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to a non-grandfathered plan, delays the effective date to Jan. 1, 2027, and partially funds the initial cost from the health-insurance reserve fund.

Sponsor Senator Davison told the committee the change would allow the state to add preventive and maternal-child benefits — such as preventive colonoscopies, well-child visits, lactation counseling and coverage for breast pumps — and to align co-pay and out-of-pocket rules with non-grandfathered plans. “We need some tools in order to be able to … fight against that medical inflation,” Davison said, describing the motivation to move out of grandfathered status.

The committee amendment did two main things: it shifted the effective date from Jan. 1, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2027, to allow the state to run a competitive bid process for health-plan vendors, and it drew $4.3 million from the health-insurance reserve fund (out of a referenced reserve balance of roughly $55 million) to offset part of the first-year cost while the remainder comes from general and other funds for programs where employees are federally supported.

Levi, a budget staff member, explained the fiscal effect of the date change: moving the effective date to 2027 reduces the fiscal exposure in the coming biennium because the change would apply for only six months of that biennium — approximately one-third of the cost reflected in an earlier fiscal estimate. “If you adopt this, then an additional, or a new fiscal note will have to be requested on the bill to get the exact dollar amount,” Levi said.

Committee members pressed on whether employees would see new premium costs; Senator Davison and staff confirmed premium sharing proposals had been removed from the amendment and no new premium was imposed in the amendment under consideration. The committee approved the amendment and later approved the bill as amended; recorded committee votes were 15–0–1 on the amendment and 15–1 on final passage to the floor.

Key points:
- Purpose: Move the PERS/State employee health plan off a grandfathered status under the ACA to allow broader preventive coverage and updated cost-sharing rules.
- Effective date: amendment moves implementation to Jan. 1, 2027 (delayed from an earlier date in the policy proposal) to allow for competitive vendor bidding.
- Funding: committee used a mix of health-insurance reserve funds (~$4.3 million drawn from a referenced reserve of about $55 million) and general/other funds to cover initial costs; an updated fiscal note will be required after bids and the amended effective date are finalized.
- Employee premiums: staff and the sponsor confirmed that the amendment removed proposals that would have required new premiums from employees.

Senator Davison moved the amendment and the bill as amended; both were approved by committee and will proceed to the floor for further consideration.","Appropriations Committee amended Senate Bill 2160 to delay full implementation until Jan. 1, 2027, approved partial funding from the health-insurance reserve and forwarded the bill to the floor; sponsors said the change will expand preventive benefits under the Affordable Care Act for state employees while allowing time for competitive bidding.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6315056,"Appropriations Committee trims Commerce budget; boosts tourism grants and creates Office of Global Talent funding",3557,1778000,5335000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2381291-02586478282df4bdc7cde40970d735be&start=1778&end=5335","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2381291-02586478282df4bdc7cde40970d735be/thumbnail_1778000.jpg","/articles/6315056/North-Dakota/Appropriations-Committee-trims-Commerce-budget-boosts-tourism-grants-and-creates-Office-of-Global-Talent-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6315056-beaf8663c6ff56f3034af659585c5060/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144539&Signature=gEd3HP0ynaNso8CoeiIYt7CFAqzo0F26-6XqzTfVGITO63gQ6-EfC-q7Kr9kdy5y~FkDUiuHJqfvaL6TbrR6XkpZtLd-UtmDOvHr8OFXEHicwb8ayAY-PQ8QTmVWeY3hcn1-f7cEeYwx0hD8oURMMwyLDjSzHFtCywBG2TJE6fPg~82sVX86CLwIMgy5tHXj4TMA1Eb3WMt1vEZGmWP3tdYpxojO2AuUSFzwVBRUGIGdW6hcfLSbL~fte0Vvgt-JVk3~IVgc6flVwhRfj64oC-8O3S9exl78951pKd~4138bHA-bTSZwc7DFQa20uwZfCdJCebredrU2UQ0pkrzm3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 2018, the Department of Commerce budget, approving the committee amendment and recommending a due-pass; the committee later recorded a final vote of 14–1–1.

Committee members reduced the governor’s recommendation and reallocated state investment across multiple Commerce programs: combined marketing dollars were cut to $7 million (from a proposed $10 million), tourism destination development grants were increased to $20 million, the Operation Intern program is funded at $3 million total, and the Office of Legal Immigration will be renamed and funded as the Office of Global Talent with $1 million (split roughly $500,000 for grants and $500,000 for operations).

Senator Dwyer, who presented the budget, said the committee pared back several requests while maintaining targeted investments to support workforce development and tourism. “When people are coming to North Dakota…you’ve got to have fun things to do,” Dwyer said, explaining the decision to increase destination grants.

Katie Ralston, workforce director at the Department of Commerce, told the committee the Office of Global Talent name better reflects the office’s work to connect employers with foreign‑born talent and to support community integration. “We want the name of the office to better reflect the work that we are doing to help employers attract, retain, and integrate foreign born talent,” Ralston said; she added the office cannot provide legal advice on immigration matters and must refer such requests elsewhere.

Major allocations and changes approved by the committee include:
- Tourism marketing: combined programs funded at $7,000,000; $150,000 allocated for a grant to North Dakota State magazine.
- Tourism destination development grants: increased to $20,000,000; committee noted a $5,000,000 per-application statutory limit to encourage distribution.
- Office of Global Talent (renamed from Office of Legal Immigration): $1,000,000 total, with $500,000 for grants and $500,000 for operating/contract costs to access international recruiting resources and integration supports.
- UAS/Grand Sky/VANTAS funding adjustments: committee retained base funding for the UAS test site and reduced one-time additions; VANTAS reduced from governor’s request, in part because the Legislature previously approved related radar funding in a separate bill.
- North Dakota Development Fund: committee recommended $30,000,000 (down from the governors’ combined proposals); committee noted carryover and prior sessions’ investments and said the fund takes some higher-risk opportunities that can produce multi‑dollar returns per state dollar invested.
- LIFT program reduced from $10,000,000 to $5,000,000.
- Tribal economic development and workforce grants: funding preserved or realigned (examples include a $750,000 grant for tribal job training programs, with awards competitive rather than limited to a single tribal college).

Rich Garman, director of Economic Development and Finance at the Commerce Department, described the Development Fund’s underwriting process and said its board — appointed by the governor — is staffed by finance and banking experts; he told the panel the fund’s projects have produced roughly a 4:1 economic-development return over time, while acknowledging that not every investment succeeds.

The committee added a reporting requirement: Commerce must provide semiannual reports to the budget section detailing how general fund and SIF appropriations are being used.

Senator Dwyer moved the amendment and the bill as amended; the committee approved the amended bill and sent it to the floor (final committee tally 14–1–1).","The committee approved Senate Bill 2018 as amended (passed 14–1–1), reducing the governor's recommended Commerce spending, increasing tourism destination grants to $20 million and funding a renamed Office of Global Talent at $1 million split between operations and grants.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Appropriations Committee advances NDIT budget with cybersecurity, siren staffing and continuing-appropriation language

Committee moves bill to shift state employee plan out of ACA ‘grandfathered’ status; delays effective date and uses reserve fund

Appropriations Committee trims Commerce budget; boosts tourism grants and creates Office of Global Talent funding