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 language that would allow a continuing appropriation for NDIT operating funds.

Senator Davison, who led the presentation in committee, said the department had asked for six new staff positions for the siren system but the committee approved two. “They asked for 5.1. We put 4.1 back in there,” Davison said, describing the committee’s decision to partially restore funding for a Palo Alto cybersecurity contract the department identified as a priority.

During discussion members focused on a provision that would create a continuing appropriation for the state information technology operating fund. Davison and other senators said the provision aims to prevent double counting when agencies pass funds back to NDIT, while staff raised concerns that continuing appropriation language can reduce transparency about where dollars are spent. Levi, a committee staff member, described the language as granting continuing-appropriation authority but said reporting requirements remain. Larry, another staff member, noted federal rules that govern how much cash the department may carry and said NDIT’s central service fund is subject to federal OMB A-87 limits that restrict profit-making and cap carryover balances.

Other highlights: - Two new FTEs added for the interoperable radio network operations; the governor had requested six. - $4.1 million general fund added for cybersecurity contracts to cover a prioritized Palo Alto contract after identifying coverage gaps across state and higher-education budgets. - $3.0 million general fund for the health information network plus access to a $3.0 million Bank of North Dakota loan fund for the same program; committee members urged the department to spend existing loan-fund balances before requesting new appropriations. - Reductions in the statewide longitudinal data system and Edutech compared with the governor’s request; modest changes to GIS and the K–12 network support. - Committee language clarifying line-item transfer authority and technical cleanups to rename the operating account to the state information technology operating fund.

The committee approved the amendment and then the bill as amended by recorded roll-call; the clerk recorded the affirmative responses and the chair declared the motion carried.

The bill will move to the floor with the continuing-appropriation language preserved; committee members said the budget will go to conference if differing language is adopted later.

The committee recessed to continue other budget work.