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Votes at a glance: North Dakota House approves bills on hazardous-chemical fees, voter guides, audits, higher-education appropriations and care-rate updates
Summary
On April 10 the North Dakota House completed recorded roll-call votes on a package of bills covering hazardous-chemical fees, a Secretary of State voter guide, audits of the development fund, appropriations for NDSU-related services, and care-rate changes for adult residential and psychiatric facilities.
The North Dakota House recorded final passage or adopted conference reports on multiple bills across policy areas on April 10. Key outcomes recorded on the floor include:
- Senate Bill 20 82 (hazardous chemical fees): Authorizes the Homeland Security Division director to set hazardous-chemical storage fees, raises a cap on storage fees and limits penalty increases; the House fiscal analysis cited multi-biennial revenue and expenditure estimates. The House recorded final passage on a roll call of 81 yeas, 11 nays; the bill was declared passed.
- Senate Bill 22 30 (Secretary of State voter guide/ballot-measure educational materials): Directs the Secretary of State to distribute objective educational materials on statewide ballot measures (including mailing a voter guide to active voters if funded), includes a one-time appropriation up to $600,000 for mailing and posting requirements, and requires assessment of effectiveness. The House recorded final passage at 87 yeas, 5 nays.
- Senate Bill 23 96 (performance audit of the North Dakota Development Fund): Directs a performance audit with a one-time legislative-council fiscal note of $250,000; the House vote was 92 yeas, 0 nays, and the emergency clause carried.
- Senate Bill 20 36 and Senate Bill 20 37 (juvenile justice items): See separate article; SB 20 36 recorded 82-10 and SB 20 37 recorded 66-26 in final House votes.
- Senate Bill 22 34 (statement of legislative intent regarding Choice Ready grants): Changes an appropriation to a legislative intent directing Department of Public Instruction to seek federal or other grant funds for the Choice Ready program; House final vote 86 yeas, 6 nays.
- Senate Bill 22 13 (mathematics instruction, curriculum and professional development): Establishes statewide math curriculum provisions and professional development supports, includes an appropriation of $1.2 million and delayed effective dates; the House recorded a final vote of 59 yeas, 33 nays.
- Senate Bill 22 26 (counsel at initial appearance/presumption of indigence): Adds a presumption of indigence at an initial appearance to allow appointment of counsel, includes an appropriation (biennial figures described on the floor) and committee recommendation; final vote 88 yeas, 4 nays.
- Senate Bill 20 20 (appropriations for NDSU Extension Service and related institutes): The House passed the appropriations bill with an emergency clause; final vote 81 yeas, 11 nays.
- Senate Bill 22 71 (adult residential facility payment rates): Provides general-fund appropriation of $1,709,302 to secure matching federal funds for specialized basic care payment rate adjustments and mandates cost reporting; final vote 84 yeas, 8 nays.
- Senate Bill 23 99 (psychiatric residential treatment facility therapeutic leave reimbursement): Modifies reimbursement for therapeutic leave days with a reduced per-diem figure compared with the originally proposed full daily rate; final vote 84 yeas, 8 nays.
Other floor actions: the House adopted or refused to concur with senate amendments on certain house bills and appointed conference committees where requested. Several conference committee reports were adopted on the floor (for example, House Bill 1139 was returned to its original form and no additional vote was required).
All roll-call vote tallies and committee recommendations cited above are taken from the House floor record as read by the chief clerk.
