House committee rejects due-pass on bill funding Native American curriculum; later votes do not pass

The House Education Committee considered House Bill 15‑36, a bill carrying an appropriation tied to curriculum specific to North Dakota tribes, and voted first on a motion for a due pass and later on a do‑not‑pass motion.

The bill’s due‑pass motion, made by Representative Hager and seconded by Representative Schreiber Beck, drew discussion about who developed the curriculum and whether the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) had been involved. Representative Huddleston said he was “a little concerned that the 5 tribes have done nothing with this situation,” while Representative Jonas described his own experience as a teacher and questioned costs tied to the materials. Representative Shriver Beck and others said the committee had not asked DPI whether it initiated the material. Chairman Heinert noted DPI had testified the curriculum was developed in February 2019 and that standards updates are expected in 2025, including ongoing professional development opportunities for educators.

After discussion the committee called the roll on the due‑pass motion; the motion failed (tally 6 yes, 7 no, 1 absent). A do‑not‑pass motion was then made and carried on a subsequent roll call (tally 8 yes, 6 no). Representative Heilman was later identified as the bill carrier when the do‑not‑pass motion prevailed.

Committee members debated whether the curriculum is an oral history that is difficult to convert into a standard textbook and whether DPI or tribal entities should have primary responsibility for developing and maintaining the materials. Several members said existing law already includes tribal‑specific curriculum requirements, and that the state’s approach differs from using a generic textbook. Other members urged further engagement with DPI and tribal partners.

The committee’s actions ended the bill’s immediate path out of the committee; the do‑not‑pass outcome means the committee declined to advance the bill at this time.

Notes: The committee transcript records concerns that some local schools may not be implementing the existing tribal curriculum, and that witnesses referenced a lawsuit in Montana that alleged failure to teach native history, but witnesses said the Montana example in testimony did not include details about the outcome of that litigation.