Education Committee advances financial‑literacy, child‑protection and transparency measures; human‑trafficking curriculum fails

The Education Committee reconvened online and voted on multiple bills affecting K‑12 and higher education policy, approving amended measures on university clearinghouse rules, university finance reporting, a child‑protection liaison and a study of a government‑spending database, and advancing an updated financial‑literacy requirement for schools. A proposal to require human‑trafficking instruction as part of the curriculum failed in committee and the committee adopted a do‑not‑pass recommendation.

Why it matters: The committee’s actions would change how some online universities are treated for clearinghouse/accreditation purposes, how university funds are reported, and how schools teach personal finance. They would also fund a short study on a state government spending database and add statutory language on child‑protection liaisons. The human‑trafficking curriculum language drew concerns about placing curriculum requirements in statute and was rejected by the committee.

House Bill 10‑64 (universities and clearinghouse): Representative Kyle Novak moved to adopt amendments to HB 10‑64 that address a gap the committee members said had excluded two online universities from a clearinghouse requirement. Novak summarized the change: “it basically required all universities to go through a clearing house … and it left out 2 online universities and that impacts the nursing field and there are a couple hundred students in North Dakota that are going through this.” Committee members said the amendment emerged from negotiations between the institutions and the university system and would allow those institutions to continue operating in the state. The committee adopted the amendment (reported in the session as passing 11‑0‑2) and later voted a due‑pass on the amended bill (committee tally reported as 12‑1‑1). Representative Novak was named as bill carrier.

House Bill 11‑61 (university internal funds/pools): The committee considered an amendment presented by Representative Murphy and adopted it by voice/roll call. Debate focused on whether shifting internal pools of funds to institution‑level control would duplicate reporting already provided to the Board of Higher Education and the Budget Section. Representative Schreiberbeck summarized the amendment’s intent, saying the change “essentially takes it back to allowing individual schools to make their own pool of potential employees” and that schools would continue to report those totals to the higher‑ed board. Representative Schreiberbeck later moved a do‑not‑pass that failed (recorded 4‑9‑1), and Representative Heilman’s subsequent motion for a due‑pass as amended carried (recorded 10‑3‑1). Representative Heilman agreed to carry the bill.

House Bill 10‑95 (child protection services liaison): Committee members reviewed amendments submitted in testimony by Amy de Cook to broaden who may serve as a liaison and to clarify duties tied to child abuse/neglect determinations and coordination with schools. The committee adopted the Cook amendments (voice/roll call showing the amendment passed 14‑0). Representative Novak moved a due‑pass on the amended bill; the motion passed on roll call (reported as 10‑4). Representative Marshall agreed to carry the bill.

House Bill 13‑29 (government spending database study): Representative Schreiberbeck introduced amendments that converted the bill into a legislative management study regarding a government spending database, with an appropriation placed under legislative management and a proposed appropriation in the bill text for the state treasurer to conduct the study (the text referenced roughly $97,000 for the biennium). The committee debated whether the study wording should be “shall” or “may”; members amended the proposal to make it a “may” study and tied funding to legislative management rather than a direct appropriation. The amendment and subsequent motions carried on unanimous roll calls (14‑0 for both the amendment and the due‑pass motion). The study language includes suggested data elements such as expenditures, payment dates, recipient names, personnel payments with position titles, descriptions of educational materials, and standardized categorization for state and local transactions.

House Bill 15‑33 (K‑12 financial literacy): The committee reviewed an amendment that updates the statutory description of required financial‑literacy content and modernizes language to reflect digital financial practices. Jim Upgren of the Department of Public Instruction explained that the amendment does not necessarily require schools to create a new half‑credit course: "a school would not necessarily have to require an additional course. They could implement all of this into POD and economics like they're currently doing." After discussion and an amendment to change the statute’s wording from "require each student to complete 1 half unit" to language directing districts to "offer financial literacy or ensure that its curriculum for either economics or Problems of Democracy includes" the listed concepts, the committee adopted the amendment and voted a due‑pass on the amended bill (both votes recorded 14‑0). Representative Mackie agreed to carry the bill.

House Bill 15‑69 (human‑trafficking instruction): The committee considered language to require instruction on human trafficking between grades 7 and 12 and debated scope, timing and who should deliver training. The committee first adopted an amendment replacing a shorthand term with the full phrase "human trafficking," and later removed a subsection that would have required reporting of race, gender and socioeconomic data (both amendments passed unanimously, 14‑0). Committee debate repeatedly returned to whether the requirement would be an unfunded mandate and whether curriculum‑level requirements belong in statute rather than in standards or guidance administered by the Department of Public Instruction. Representative Hager, Representative Heilman and others raised concerns about placing specific curriculum mandates in law and about training and capacity for counselors or teachers. A motion for a due‑pass failed on roll call (reported 4‑10) and the committee then adopted a do‑not‑pass recommendation (reported 9‑5). Representative Economy agreed to carry the bill as the prevailing side’s carrier paperwork was arranged.

Votes at a glance (committee outcomes) - HB 10‑64 (as amended): Amendment adopted (reported 11‑0‑2). Committee gave a due‑pass recommendation on the amended bill (reported 12‑1‑1). Carrier: Representative Novak. - HB 11‑61 (as amended): Amendment adopted. Initial do‑not‑pass failed (reported 4‑9‑1); later due‑pass as amended passed (reported 10‑3‑1). Carrier: Representative Heilman. - HB 10‑95 (as amended): Amendment adopted (reported 14‑0). Committee gave a due‑pass recommendation on the amended bill (reported 10‑4). Carrier: Representative Marshall. - HB 13‑29 (as amended): Amendment adopted to make the bill a study and to place budget responsibility with legislative management; amendment and due‑pass carried (reported 14‑0). Carrier: Representative Heilman. - HB 15‑33 (as amended): Amendment adopted to remove a requirement for a half‑credit and direct districts to offer or include financial literacy in existing courses; amendment and due‑pass carried (reported 14‑0). Carrier: Representative Mackie. - HB 15‑69 (as amended twice): Amendments adopted (term clarification and removal of a reporting subsection) (14‑0 each); due‑pass failed (reported 4‑10); committee approved a do‑not‑pass recommendation (reported 9‑5). Carrier: Representative Economy (prevailing side).

Meeting context and next steps: Committee members frequently deferred to the Department of Public Instruction for technical questions about standards and implementation timelines. DPI staff told the committee they are updating K‑12 financial‑literacy standards and expect draft standards to be available for superintendent review in May 2025; DPI staff said the amendment language aligns with that work and would not require districts to create a new course in most cases. The committee adjourned after assigning bill carriers and finalizing majority/minority paperwork for bills returning to the floor.

Quotes (selected) "It basically required all universities to go through a clearing house … and it left out 2 online universities and that impacts the nursing field and there are a couple hundred students in North Dakota that are going through this," Representative Kyle Novak said during discussion of HB 10‑64. "A school would not necessarily have to require an additional course. They could implement all of this into POD and economics like they're currently doing," Jim Upgren of the Department of Public Instruction said about the financial‑literacy amendment (HB 15‑33).

Ending: The committee’s recommendations will be reflected in the next floor packets as bills are scheduled for floor action; several bills include follow‑up reporting or study assignments and DPI and the state treasurer were identified as agencies that would provide technical support or carry out study work if the measures advance.