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Sponsor urges a single portal to follow public funds; treasurer warns of technical costs
Summary
Representative Douglas Halski proposed House Bill 16-20 to create a statewide online portal tracking distribution of taxpayer funds and grant opportunities; the state treasurer and agency witnesses said substantial technical work and interagency coordination would be required, although related data already exist across state systems.
Representative Douglas Halski told the Political Subdivisions Committee that House Bill 16-20 would create a user-friendly online portal showing how public funds are allocated and help North Dakotans find grant opportunities and recipients of state spending. He said constituents have difficulty locating where appropriations and grants are spent and that greater transparency would foster public trust.
Treasurer’s response and existing tools: State Treasurer Thomas Beadle testified in a neutral capacity and said he supports improving transparency but warned the bill arrived without a fiscal note and that creating a unified portal would require IT resources and likely an appropriation. Beadle outlined existing resources and systems that already publish state financial data: the Treasurer’s distribution portal (TDOC), the Office of Management and Budget’s PeopleSoft-based dashboards, and other agency reporting tools. He said his office manages the state’s distribution data and that some datasets (PeopleSoft) are administered by OMB. “Our office…we have well over 900 funds that have been created in the state for managing all that stuff,” Beadle told the committee and added that a more user-friendly, consolidated interface would require work to harmonize disparate datasets and address privacy or legal limits on granular recipient information.
Supporters and practical suggestions: Connie Osowski testified in support and urged the committee to create a central portal or search gateway that would direct users to existing databases or provide a curated dashboard; she said constituents frequently struggle to find information scattered across multiple websites. Other witnesses noted grant listings are currently posted in several agencies and a single “one-stop” portal would improve access but would require coordination among agencies and technical resources.
Why it matters: Lawmakers and witnesses agreed transparency is a public value but differed on how to achieve it. The treasurer and committee members emphasized that data largely exist but are unevenly organized and that OMB and the treasurer’s office are logical partners to implement a consolidated portal; a fiscal appropriation would likely be needed for a full one-stop system.
Ending: The committee heard supportive public comment and the treasurer’s technical guidance; members asked follow-up questions about agency roles, data ownership and likely resource needs. No committee vote or appropriation decision appears in the transcript excerpt provided.
