Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate approves $ career-and-technical education budget package with emergency clause
Summary
Senators adopted a conference committee report and passed Senate Bill 20‑19, a budget measure for the Department of Career and Technical Education that includes startup funding increases and an emergency clause; final tally was 47‑0.
The North Dakota Senate on April 28 approved Senate Bill 20‑19, an appropriation measure for the Department of Career and Technical Education, and carried an emergency clause to allow immediate effect.
Senator Shibley, speaking for the conference committee, described the package as funding to expand career and technical education programs and to cover startup costs for new programs. "This is a budget for career in tech," Shibley said, adding that conference negotiators "settled for $303,000,000 of new and expanding programs" (as reported on the floor). He also described increases for work‑based learning coordinators and funds to assist the department with moving costs for facilities vacating current space, raising a moving‑and‑setup allotment up to $300,000.
Senator Shibley also addressed questions about federal pandemic relief funds. When Senator Powers asked whether the approximately $74 million cited as federal funds were secure, Shibley replied that those are ESSER dollars with reimbursement requirements and that "there should be no clawback on existing funds that career tech would know about."
The nut graf: The bill provides targeted funding increases and startup support intended to expand career centers and work‑based learning coordination while the emergency clause allows the appropriation and related actions to take immediate effect.
On final passage the tally was 47 yea, 0 nay, 0 absent. The conference committee report had been adopted earlier on the floor.
Supporters framed the package as an investment to help students transition from education to employment. Sponsors noted rural program access and infrastructure needs but did not attach additional details about long‑term recurring funding beyond the appropriations in the measure.
The Senate carried the emergency clause as part of final passage; the bill will take effect immediately upon enactment per the emergency language adopted by the chamber.
