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House adopts university system funding with $47.19 million reduction and directed studies
Summary
The House approved the conference committee report on Senate Bill 2,003, enacting changes to North Dakota University System funding that include cuts totaling about $47.19 million and directs studies on dual credit and governance naming.
The North Dakota House adopted the conference committee report on Senate Bill 2,003 and passed the bill by a final vote of 69 yeas and 18 nays, approving the appropriations and policy directives for the North Dakota University System.
Representative Sanford, the House conferee, summarized major outcomes from the committee, saying the conference cut roughly $47,190,000 from the university system budgets — about $22,700,000 in general fund savings and about $24,490,000 from the State Institution Fund (SIF). “Thirdly, we asked to we directed the med school to concentrate more on getting more North Dakota residents for the physician and physician assistant programs,” Sanford said, and he described other policy directions and clarifications the conference included.
Sanford listed several specific reductions: $8,000,000 removed from a diversification research fund, $8,000,000 removed in combined reductions to UND and NDSU grant requests (UND’s National Security Crossroads and NDSU’s New Horizons), and additional reductions including $2,000,000 from each of UND and NDSU for network costs, $1,800,000 from Dickinson for deferred maintenance, and other institution-specific adjustments. The conferees left residual funding in some lines so projects could proceed from other available resources.
The conference report also directs several studies and policy clarifications. The House directed a study of dual-credit participation and a study assessing a commissioner- versus a chancellor-led governance naming/structure; the committee also included legislative intent language to prohibit noncontractual exit agreements with presidents or chancellors unless previously authorized in contract language. Representative Sanford said those items had financial or structural implications and that the committee was attempting to clarify recurring concerns.
On the floor, Sanford moved adoption of the conference committee report, and the House recorded final passage with the emergency clause carrying. The bill contains multiple statutory amendments and new sections to the North Dakota Century Code as described in the sponsor’s reading on the floor.
Implementation of the adopted funding levels and studies will proceed through the State Board of Higher Education and institutions’ administrative processes as budgeted under the bill.
