Appropriations Committee advances NDIT budget with cybersecurity, siren staffing and continuing-appropriation language

The Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 2021, the Information Technology Department budget, approving an amendment and a due-pass as amended and sending the bill to the floor.

The budget includes funding adjustments across payroll, special funds and federal funds; it restores $4.1 million from the general fund for cybersecurity contracts (a reduced request from $5.1 million), adds two full-time employees tied to the statewide interoperable radio network (the “siren” system) and directs $3.0 million for the state health information exchange plus access to a $3.0 million Bank of North Dakota loan fund.

Why it matters: committee members said the bill addresses increasing cybersecurity needs and the operations of recently built public-safety communications infrastructure but raised transparency concerns about…