[{"_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",6095622,"mediaKeyId","2837331-0e00e0dac4b274f6ca127ad34dc1d75a","parentId",2837331,"title","Senators consider bill to create state Office of Entrepreneurship to coordinate supports for startups","audioSeconds",2834,"startMs",4365000,"endMs",7199000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2837331-0e00e0dac4b274f6ca127ad34dc1d75a&start=4365&end=7199","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2837331-0e00e0dac4b274f6ca127ad34dc1d75a/thumbnail_4365000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6095622/North-Dakota/Senators-consider-bill-to-create-state-Office-of-Entrepreneurship-to-coordinate-supports-for-startups","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095622-4fa359db1919d71fc1939b3dcfd27d84/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011954&Signature=epiy3VOZjs3WZmgxNT5HSLHTSxbKfpxDK94NTYKNXnV8QvvTfjUQYVmZfONKBj0~LpAhMq5ReQqS18Igb82eRuyLqaAw5FrSThkT5ptRgo0Mp3fm9cANdMGt7dqemw-A-DdNFW78HHLzHvsEjvliBeGe5XHsZIWmjA03uJfSPMizEA0xTWnsQjEEXUhlOGsjc2rVshurI3nPD8kJPQPqEOKLl-gs4y4ZvzoCg6DnGS88gUe-oo3m7dELOXqrtxfPxtNT3dLuSROMkV1vC6Ga8wWdWWzoN5rbxUBS1BnqSkPsGv3WMP7DnHdYms~Pzrl7SNVjmOR5BLjp8n~wxU2x0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Jonathan Warrie introduced House Bill 1191 as legislation to establish an Office of Entrepreneurship to help early-stage businesses find services, capital and training across North Dakota.

Warrie said the office would coordinate existing programs—university innovation centers, Small Business Development Centers, regional economic-development offices and private-sector incubators—rather than replace them. \"This is to establish an office of entrepreneurship in the state,\" Warrie said, adding the office would focus on helping businesses in their first five years and would connect entrepreneurs to appropriate resources.

Why it matters: supporters argued the lack of a single coordinating point forces founders to search widely for help and often relocate to Fargo or out of state to access accelerators, mentors and follow-on capital. Backers described the bill as foundational: a low-overhead office that would aggregate services, publish performance data and help match entrepreneurs to local programs.

Entrepreneurs and support organizations testified in favor. Bryce Warrie, CEO of PaveWise, described his company’s path from a construction startup to a software and AI product: after spending his own funds he relocated to Fargo to access incubator programs, and he said he would not have reached his current scale without those connections. \"If I would've never picked up and made the move connected with Greg Tavine, with G Beta ... I would have quit,\" Warrie said, recounting how accelerator programs and local networks led to customers and growth.

Greg Tavine, CEO of Emerging Prairie, and other witnesses said Fargo’s entrepreneurship hub works well but rural and western parts of the state lack similar centralized networks. Tavine and others supported an office that could seed regional hubs and collect best practices. The bill’s text places the office inside the Department of Commerce and requires a biennial \"state of entrepreneurship\" report that includes metrics and a proposed plan to remove barriers to starting and growing businesses.

Committee questions focused on placement and budget. The House version removed a $485,000 line-item and left staffing and funding to Commerce’s budget process; Warrie said he put the office in Commerce because most other states put similar offices there and because Commerce could absorb staff within its budget if appropriators choose. The committee and witnesses discussed alternative placements and regional approaches; the Economic Development Association of North Dakota sent neutral testimony that recommended considering regionally tailored supports.

No vote was taken at the hearing. Supporters asked the committee to advance the concept and to work with Commerce and regional partners to shape duties and funding. Several testifiers—entrepreneurs, investors and university-affiliated staff—offered to help implement a small, focused office and to supply a clearinghouse of events, mentorship and training that could reach communities beyond Fargo.

The hearing included testimony from Representative Jonathan Warrie (bill sponsor), Bryce Warrie (CEO, PaveWise), Greg Tavine (CEO, Emerging Prairie), Todd Pringle (7 01 Fund / Dakota Digital Academy), Nathan Schneider (Economic Development Association of North Dakota), and other entrepreneurs and local economic-development representatives.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Industry and Business Apr 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Jonathan Warrie told senators House Bill 1191 would establish an Office of Entrepreneurship to coordinate state and local programs, streamline processes and publish a \"state of entrepreneurship\" report focused on businesses’ first five years.","taxTitle","Industry and Business, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28906,"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},6095617,"Committee advances several bills: amendments adopted on bonding and insurance items; HB14 66 amended and advanced",1450,8566000,10016000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2837331-0e00e0dac4b274f6ca127ad34dc1d75a&start=8566&end=10016","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2837331-0e00e0dac4b274f6ca127ad34dc1d75a/thumbnail_8566000.jpg","/articles/6095617/North-Dakota/Committee-advances-several-bills-amendments-adopted-on-bonding-and-insurance-items-HB14-66-amended-and-advanced","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095617-471810cd7fe4b44c300dbb2dbb343d5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011955&Signature=iVAxnRGwvRN~rg~EyMgambacbViKvD0CSuCEzfb707ijGv5WKvHI1og1m~pxP0E6dqGVUBLlq50HZIZFiCLNGzYzWW1a09k57zpv7W7UyJEtbKu9nkYDhC3ZwIwQ3qP-dZFnQiQsSSiZd8fVHLH2UMbTgV265NToYZxhD0cpdmUTdDCV8RMWuuV80n-lafs3xwguqrov1X6X1ECwYp84-jnTKJ2EUebnBlFpkQ1137snRc4aHvWwVzcpywVoSNRrP36qAzggOcKGDMVh0jAOsoReBJ68G0oBWMcfghw5jzSH6oI3jjFU8Bh7vMBF-tLmtExRQjGSLf1nLv8DP-ctgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Industry and Business Committee took votes on several bills and amendments at the end of its session.

House Bill 14 66: Senator Kessel offered an amendment (amendment 25.0453.03003) making numeric and cross-reference corrections. The committee approved the amendment and then voted to give the bill a do-pass recommendation as amended. Committee roll calls recorded the amendment and the final do-pass recommendation as unanimous among voting members present (5-0).

House Bill 1027: The Association of Counties and its counsel proposed an amendment to clarify liability and insurance-recovery language for political subdivisions; sponsors said the change would allow the Insurance Reserve Fund or a similar entity to seek repayment if a political subdivision knowingly violated state law (for example, on permitted setbacks) and the court later determined the subdivision’s action was unlawful. The committee adopted the amendment on a 4-1 vote and then voted 4-1 to recommend the bill as amended.

House Bill 1026: Committee members also moved House Bill 1026 (related to bonding fund oversight) to a do-pass recommendation; the vote was recorded 5-0.

Why it matters: the votes move these bills forward in the legislative process. Committee discussion on HB 1027 focused on balancing insurance coverage for political subdivisions against preventing deliberate circumvention of statutory land-use requirements; the adopted language preserves coverage pending court resolution but creates an avenue for recovery where courts find a deliberate violation.

Recorded outcomes (committee votes):
- HB 14 66 (amendment adopted): amendment passed 5-0; bill as amended recommended do pass 5-0.
- HB 1027 (amendment adopted): amendment passed 4-1; bill as amended recommended do pass 4-1.
- HB 1026 (bonding oversight): recommended do pass 5-0.

Committee members did not list roll-call votes by name in every case; recorded tallies above reflect the public roll-call counts taken in committee.","The Senate Industry and Business Committee moved multiple measures forward Tuesday, including an amended House Bill 14 66 and two measures related to state bonding and political-subdivision insurance.",{"_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},6095627,"Senate committee hears bill to create advanced-technology grant program and review committee",3997,370000,4367000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2837331-0e00e0dac4b274f6ca127ad34dc1d75a&start=370&end=4367","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2837331-0e00e0dac4b274f6ca127ad34dc1d75a/thumbnail_370000.jpg","/articles/6095627/North-Dakota/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-create-advanced-technology-grant-program-and-review-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095627-38d4dcffd4ac0c5ff26ba72ddc00f483/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011955&Signature=AgPYA3si1c1-UHBnsj77ItCr2A8jD0WBv3oU7JAao9rQndQFpQ~ILzkFUYj9JWDwLFA2xI0PZItplgoELInE92X7TCgfZfuILe94EJMYBV6GOc1IMYy~Hc5D9P0IvEPsRxMGhnnNly5XqExuK2M1TDXJs6xXlgewm0Hln5loJdLSgCQOvAQ-Tp5X0PJy94eUcXjNIeuQGsz11Aca~YUE-sF9eHXesEdbi1iDfjVEzv0yGtWnJL2df2-Cniy2v9zUWATMH-PTOi-xGBWWnAfhQkO6a9XgksIGHT-h9CwfHwvx-tXoVSy4vEa7OG4cOUDeTYR8-ygXGUa8lGzJ18KK-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Jonathan Warrie, sponsor of House Bill 1448, told the Senate Industry and Business Committee the bill would establish an Advanced Technology Review Committee and a grant fund to help bridge early-stage research into commercial products.

The bill would create a committee made up of state information-technology officials, representatives from higher education and three private-sector appointees, and authorize an Advanced Technology Grant Program and Fund. \"14 48 initially started as a, almost like a, lift fund,\" Warrie said, explaining the measure began as a targeted vehicle for AI-related commercialization and was carried in committee with a $5,000,000 placeholder that the House appropriations panel later removed.

Why it matters: supporters said targeted seed funding and a review body could help North Dakota firms and university projects commercialize work in artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing. Opponents and some senators raised questions about overlap with existing state programs and how to prevent the fund from becoming a general-purpose IT pot.

Director Todd Pringle of the Dakota Digital Academy and investor-partner in the 701 Fund testified in strong support and described the near-term commercial potential of AI. \"I stand in strong support of HB 14 48 to establish an advanced technology committee grant program and fund with hopeful 1 time funding of of 5,000,000,\" Pringle said. He urged the committee to prioritize projects that demonstrate a realistic and convincing economic-development or workforce impact.

Witnesses and senators discussed how the committee should be staffed and whether existing entities—such as university tech-transfer offices or the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC)—would better house the work. Pringle said the review panel should be business-savvy rather than purely technical, so members could judge market and commercialization potential. Senators asked whether the Department of Commerce already provides similar services and whether the governor’s office supports creating a new body.

Several testifiers gave examples of business uses: Bryce Warrie, chief executive of PaveWise, described a deployed natural-language interface built for the North Dakota Department of Transportation that allows engineers and contractors to query specification documents. \"We actually are running AI, and the North Dakota DOT,\" Bryce Warrie said, noting the project saved staff time and produced rapid uptake during its pilot.

The bill text says the fund would be administered by the state treasury; grant money may not be used for capital construction or routine operations and must be used to advance commercialization. The committee would be required to give priority to projects that advance AI, machine learning, quantum computing and similar R&D. The bill also requires an independent, post-completion review to measure whether a project resulted in a commercially viable patent or product.

Committee members asked for clarity on governance, how funds would be allocated across venture stages, and what safeguards would limit speculative investments. Senators suggested the appropriations process should set funding levels and that the first iteration could be a time-limited pilot to test outcomes.

The hearing closed without a committee vote; supporters asked the committee to refine eligibility and oversight language and to consider appointing members with investor experience to reduce implementation risk.

The bill hearing included testimony from Representative Jonathan Warrie (District 22), Todd Pringle (Director, Dakota Digital Academy; investor), Bryce Warrie (CEO, PaveWise), Andrea Fenig (Greater North Dakota Chamber), Chancellor Mark Hagarrot (North Dakota University System), and other stakeholders.","Lawmakers and witnesses debated House Bill 1448, which would create an Advanced Technology Review Committee and an Advanced Technology Grant Fund to prioritize AI, machine learning and related commercialization projects; sponsors said the bill is policy only and funding would be set by appropriations.","actionData","errors"]

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Senators consider bill to create state Office of Entrepreneurship to coordinate supports for startups

Committee advances several bills: amendments adopted on bonding and insurance items; HB14 66 amended and advanced

Senate committee hears bill to create advanced-technology grant program and review committee