Committee approves Commerce Department S.B. 2018 amendments, adds funding for TR library, Vantas and drone replacement programs

The House Commerce Committee voted to adopt a package of amendments to Engrossed Senate Bill 2018 on a series of Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and related appropriations, approving the bill as amended and sending it out of committee.

Representative Ben Nathie, the bill sponsor in committee, outlined the amendment package as a set of SIF-driven appropriations and statutory changes affecting tourism and destination grants, workforce and uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) programs, and a proposed study and authorization language for a tribal‑state gaming compact in Grand Forks County. He told the panel the committee returned many line items to the governor’s recommendations and added targeted increases in some programs, including destination development grants and Vantas-related funding.

The amendment package approved by the committee included: a $50 million SIF appropriation for the TR Presidential Library and Museum (structured as $25 million from SIF and $25 million from the Bank of North Dakota with a required 1:1 match and conditional access tied to the library’s fundraising); funding for a state UAS replacement program and FAA‑security upgrades for test sites; increased destination development grant funds; a $75 million line-of-credit authorization for the state development fund; added appropriations for autonomous agricultural grants, Native American small business grants, historic theater…