Committee advances bill to give all North Dakota fire departments sales-tax exemption; amendment adds vehicle-excise-tax exemption

The Senate Finance and Taxation Committee voted to recommend a due‑pass for House Bill 1139, a measure sponsored by Representative Mikey Pyle that would allow all fire departments certified by the state fire marshal to make purchases exempt from sales tax regardless of how the department is organized.

Representative Pyle told the committee the bill “seeks to level the playing field by allowing all fire departments in the North Dakota to make purchases free of sales tax regardless of the organizational structure.” He said the change is intended to ensure departments that operate as non-profit volunteer organizations have the same purchasing power as departments that are city or township entities.

Fire department testimony and local impacts

John Veil, fire chief for the Castleton Fire Department, told the committee his department serves roughly 385 square miles and a…