Legislative Council seeks $29M for assembly, proposes 25 new staff and chamber accessibility upgrades

At a hearing of the Government Operations Division of the North Dakota Senate Appropriations Committee, John Bjornson, director of the Legislative Council, presented Senate Bill 2001, the legislative-branch budget request for the 2025–27 biennium. Bjornson said the recommended appropriation for the legislative assembly totals about $29,000,000 from the general fund and that the legislative management and legislative council appropriation totals about $28,500,000.

The request for the assembly includes nearly $8.4 million in one-time funding for chamber lighting and accessibility upgrades, digital document certification and completion of an upgraded bill-drafting system. Bjornson told the committee, “we are not ADA compliant right now,” and said the legislative procedure and arrangements committee recommended full accessibility work to avoid recurring accommodations for speakers and visitors with mobility impairments.

Why it matters: Bjornson and committee members framed the budget request around two pressures. First, the Legislative Council seeks more in-house capacity—policy analysts, program evaluators and IT staff—to preserve institutional memory as term limits reduce lawmakers’ tenure. Second, the branch is asking for one-time capital spending to finish technology and accessibility work lawmakers say is needed to serve the public and meet federal accessibility obligations.

Key budget details and proposed changes - Assembly appropriation: about $29,000,000 general fund, including roughly $8,400,000 in one-time requests. Bjornson said the assembly’s ongoing general fund increase is $2,200,000 (about 12% more than the 2023 biennium ongoing appropriation). - Salaries and wages:…