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Committee hears bill to allow retention payments in rural attorney recruitment program
Summary
Senate Bill 2211 would add a retention option to North Dakota’s rural attorney recruitment program without increasing the program’s cap or requesting new state appropriation; testimony explained the program structure and current participants.
Senators considered Senate Bill 2211, a measure to revise the state’s rural attorney recruitment program so the same program can be used both to recruit attorneys into underserved counties and to retain attorneys already serving in those counties.
Sponsor Sen. Brad Becketal told the committee the bill makes a small statutory change to add “retention” language to the existing program; he said the change does not add new slots or a new appropriation. "The bill you have before you has no appropriation. It has no money attached to it for new money," Becketal said.
Scott Johnson, deputy state court administrator, outlined how the program currently operates. He said the program provides up to $45,000 per attorney paid in five installments over five years, and the cost is shared among three parties. "The cost of the program, is split 50% for the state, [35%] for the participating community, and the State Bar Association, 15%," Johnson said. (Committee discussion showed that formulation means roughly half from the state, a portion from the local participating community and a smaller share from the legal foundation or bar charity.)
Johnson said the program’s cap remains eight attorney slots under current law; to date the program has run four recruitment cycles, and six attorney–community matches are active. He described communities and counties that have matched attorneys through the program, including Walsh County (multiple matches), Grafton, Renville County and Bowman County, and he noted one pending Wells County application that, if approved, would leave one slot available under the program cap.
Tony Wyler, executive director of the State Bar Association of North Dakota, testified in support and confirmed the bar foundation supplies the 15% funding share; the bar urged expanded usage and said the association would help fill remaining slots.
Committee members asked administrative questions about how the program is administered and how counties and communities elect to participate; witnesses said communities must agree to share program costs and that the program is intended to place attorneys where counties lack local counsel. The hearing concluded with no committee vote recorded.
