Committee clears cleanup bill aligning National Guard security positions with single retirement plan

Jason Suttimer, HR business partner for the Office of the Adjutant General, told the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee that HB 1077 is a cleanup bill requested by the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System to clarify the definition of a North Dakota National Guard security officer.

Suttimer said security team members at the Frane Barracks had been enrolled in different retirement systems based on classification status even though many perform the same duties. "This bill is being introduced to clarify the definition of the North Dakota National Guard Security Officer and provide clarification to the existing adjutant general team members serving in security positions," he said, adding PERS determined all security team members should be enrolled in the same retirement plan and that the change had no fiscal impact.

The committee heard confirmation from an Office of Attorney General representative that an earlier funding shortfall associated with the change had been addressed using federal cooperative agreement reimbursements.

Representative Vetter moved a due-pass recommendation; the motion was seconded and the committee carried the motion on a roll call (12-0) to recommend HB 1077.

Why it matters: The bill clarifies retirement-plan enrollment for a subset of National Guard employees and resolves a classification-based mismatch that had required administrative adjustments.

What’s next: Committee recommended the bill be advanced to the full House.