Commerce lays out 2025–27 priorities: workforce programs, tourism marketing, UAS infrastructure and housing

The Senate Appropriations Committee, Government Operations Division, heard the North Dakota Department of Commerce present its 2025–27 base budget and a series of requests intended to support workforce growth, tourism and destination development, energy and value‑added industry, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) infrastructure and housing initiatives.

Chris Shilkin, commissioner for the Department of Commerce, opened the agency presentation, saying at a high level that Commerce’s base budget is "almost $87,000,000" with roughly $33 million in general funds, about $43 million in federal funds and a little more than $9 million in special funds. Shilkin said the department’s mission is to attract and retain wealth and talent and that commissioners will present division‑level details for the committee’s review.

Budget highlights and division requests

Administration and organizational items: Allison Widmer, director of administrative services, told the committee that the department’s base budgets remained unchanged between the prior administration’s and the current governor’s executive budget; differences are in one‑time items and transfers. Commerce requested one FTE for a procurement officer and one FTE for the North Dakota Development Fund, and the agency expressed support for the governor’s proposed total‑rewards salary package.

Community Services (CSBG and local programs): Ben Fall, Community Services Block Grant program administrator for the Division of Community Services, described CSBG as a federal grant distributed through seven community action agencies and said the program targets anti‑poverty services such as housing, health and nutrition. Fall reported program results for 2022–23 and recent funding levels: the program supported over 36,000 unduplicated individuals in that period, including about 25,100 individuals who obtained safe and affordable housing, roughly 13,000 children, more than 6,000 people with disabilities, nearly 5,000 uninsured individuals and about 1,200 veterans served through Supportive Services for Veteran Families. Fall said 2023 CSBG funding totaled $3,700,000 (up from $3,600,000 in 2022), and that the state closed out the CSBG CARES Act funds that originated in 2020. Legislative Council staff earlier told the committee that the department anticipates roughly $7,000,000 in federal CSBG funds for the 2025–27 biennium.

The Division of Community Services director (transcript name: Maria Efforts) described additional division responsibilities, including managing federal and state formula grants, the Office of Community Development and Rural Prosperity, state building codes education, the renaissance zone program, and energy…