Conference committee reviews Senate changes to House Bill 1003; cybercrime agents, litigation fund, task force discussed

Members of the Appropriations conference committee met in a conference on House Bill 1003 to review Senate changes to the bill, discussing staffing, funding source changes, and new program language proposed by the Attorney General’s Office.

The Senate side presented a package of changes that would remove several attorney FTEs, add two Bureau of Criminal Investigation cybercrime agents based in Grand Forks with one-time equipment funding, shift some salary and operating costs from the general fund to the refund fund, and carry over an additional $3 million into the Attorney General’s litigation pool, bringing the available litigation pool to $8 million, according to committee discussion.

Why it matters: The committee’s decisions affect staffing at the Attorney General’s Office, law-enforcement capacity for cybercrime investigations, the size of a litigation reserve used by the state, and new grant funding for human-trafficking education and victim services.

Most significant changes discussed

- Cybercrime agents and equipment: The Senate added two BCI cybercrime agents to be located in Grand Forks and included one-time equipment funding of $161,000. Committee members noted the City of Grand Forks is contributing office space and about $181,000 in related operating…