Committee backs funding to build combined BCI–Highway Patrol facility in Minot, but cost gap remains

A legislative committee on Monday gave House Bill 1487 a do-pass recommendation to appropriate funds for constructing a new facility in Minot to house the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Minot office and the Highway Patrol.

The bill as drafted would provide $4,900,000 to build an estimated 14,000-square-foot facility on Department of Transportation land; the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) later advised using $400 per square foot as a safer estimate, which would raise the probable cost to $5,600,000, witnesses said.

The appropriation is intended to fund a new building rather than renovation, Pat Leonard, a supervisor and special agent with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Minot office, told the committee. Leonard said the agencies discussed space needs and estimated roughly 14,000 square feet to include office space, shared areas and climate-controlled garage space for vehicles. “We may not need 14. It may be less, but we didn't want to also shortcut ourselves and then all of a sudden we're gonna build this building now we need more,” Leonard said.

Why it matters: Committee members said they support consolidating space to achieve operational savings but expressed concern about where additional funds would come from if construction bids exceed the appropriation. Brady Soule, a staff member who answered budget questions for the committee, told members that the Emergency Commission can provide up to $750,000 from the State Contingency but that larger shortfalls would require a deficiency appropriation before the full Legislative Assembly. “There is 750,000 from the General Fund and State Contingency, so that would be the only funding available,” Soule said.

Discussion and timing: Witnesses and legislators noted the Job Service building currently housing BCI may be sold, which prompted the agencies to seek a new, permanent location. OMB and agency testimony estimated 12 to 18 months for design and construction after funding is available; speakers cautioned that winter work schedules and contractor availability could delay completion, possibly pushing occupancy into late 2026.

Committee action: Senator Dwyer moved a do-pass recommendation for House Bill 1487; Senator Burkhart seconded. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from Senator Sickler, Senator Erbilick, Senator McGuire, Senator Burkhart and Senator Woznick; the chair declared the motion carried and closed the committee’s work on HB 1487. Committee members discussed carrying the bill forward to the next policy steps and identified a senator to carry the bill to the next committee.

What remains unresolved: Committee members repeatedly raised where the additional roughly $700,000 would come from if the higher per-square-foot estimate proved accurate. Options discussed on the record included Emergency Commission approval for up to $750,000 and requesting a deficiency appropriation in a subsequent session; OMB testimony said the agency could also reduce project scope or seek additional funding later. The transcript does not record a binding contingency mechanism included in HB 1487 itself.

Next steps: Committee members closed their work on the bill and arranged for a senator to carry it forward for further consideration.