Appropriations committee advances multiple budgets, rejects firefighter purchase grant; family caregiver proposal discussed

The House Appropriations Committee on April 1 approved a string of agency budgets and policy items while rejecting a $500,000 grant request for a firefighters association and leaving a paid family caregiver proposal for more study.

The committee voted to give Senate Bill 2251 a “do pass” recommendation after hearing from Austin Shower, District 13, West Fargo, who explained the bill would stop the State Auditor’s Office from billing state agencies for certain audits. Dan Cox, director of audit services for the State Auditor’s Office, told the committee the change has “absolutely no impact on our office at all” while acknowledging the fiscal note shows a $343,000 reduction in state audit revenue deposited to the general fund.

The panel approved several agency budgets presented as standalone bills: the North Dakota Veterans Home (SB 2007), the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents (House Bill 2022), the Aeronautics Commission (HB/SB 2006), the judicial branch (SB 2002) and the State Fair (SB 2009). Committee members and sponsors described the budgets as largely funded from special funds with targeted general-fund items, including salary adjustments, equipment carryovers and small one-time facility projects.

Why it matters: the committee begins the sprint toward the end of session. Leadership signaled a compressed schedule, and the Appropriations Committee is trying to clear budgets and policy bills before the April deadline referenced at the meeting. Approved budgets set agency spending priorities and, in some cases, change program rules or thresholds that affect local governments and boards.

Key approvals and details

- SB 2251 (State Auditor billing). Sponsor Austin Shower said the bill removes the requirement for the State Auditor’s Office to bill agencies for audits of special funds and extends the exemption that the university system received last session to all state agencies. The fiscal note shows a roughly $343,000 reduction in audit revenue to the general fund for the 2023–25 biennium; the committee approved the bill. Dan Cox said the change will not impair audit quality because audits arriving at the auditor’s office are ‘‘substantially complete’’ and the change was requested to ease cash-flow pressure on private CPA firms.

- SB 2007 (North Dakota…