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Senate Finance Committee advances multiple bills in work session; key amendments, fiscal notes noted
Summary
The committee completed a work session advancing a slate of bills (amend and do pass / do pass) across topics including agriculture, health care staffing, reproductive health, corrections, public health and IT appropriations; most measures passed on voice votes after conceptual amendments or fiscal clarifications from LCB/agency staff.
The Senate Finance Committee held a work session and voted to advance a broad set of bills by voice vote after considering conceptual amendments and fiscal notes from Legislative Counsel Bureau and agency staff. Committee action progressed on public health, corrections, technology and appropriations items.
Among the bills advanced (motions and outcomes summarized):
- SB 172 (agricultural worker rights): motion to amend and do pass as amended; motion carried (voice vote). Senator Wynne moved, Senator Cannizzaro seconded. Nay votes recorded from Senators Titus, Stone and Buck.
- SB 182 (staffing of health-care facilities): do pass; motion carried (voice vote). Senator Wynne moved, Senator Cannizzaro seconded. Nay votes recorded from Senators Titus, Stone and Buck.
- SB 217 (reproductive health provisions; conceptual amendment delaying Medicaid/PEP mandate to FY '28 and preserving waiver authority): amend and do pass as amended; motion carried.
- SB 257 (autism provisions): do pass; motion carried.
- SB 263 (juvenile-related criminal provisions with conceptual amendment): amend and do pass as amended; motion carried (NDOC noted a potential modest fiscal impact; committee advanced without additional funding).
- SB 275 (domestic relations; conceptual amendment removing general-fund request): amend and do pass as amended; motion carried.
- SB 312 (tribal health/AIH provisions): amend as proposed (redirecting public health infrastructure funds) and do pass; motion carried.
- SB 329 (training on elderly/persons with cognitive impairment): do pass; motion carried.
- SB 344 (insurance genetic screening coverage; conceptual amendment with general-fund appropriation ~ $486,000 over biennium): amend and do pass as amended; motion carried.
- SB 422 (voting-related language change from 13 to 18; DMV fiscal estimate ~ $118,501 highway fund per fiscal year but committee moved the bill without adding the funding): amend and do pass as amended; motion carried.
- SB 424 (assessment on private emergency-transport providers): amend and do pass; motion carried.
- SB 300 (Medicaid revisions and medication administration for persons with opioid use disorder; conceptual amendment to fund with private provider tax transfers and federal match): amend and do pass as amended; motion carried.
- SB 35 (offenses relating to prisoners; NDOC fiscal note estimating increased offenders): do pass; motion carried.
- SB 60 (crimes against older or vulnerable adults; conceptual amendment by Silver Haired Forum): amend and do pass as amended; motion carried.
- SB 475, SB 477, SB 480, SB 481, SB 487, SB 496 (various one-shot appropriations and IT or capital appropriations including state parks, Project MINT tax system, uninterruptible power supplies, business licensing system, DMV IT projects): all were amended where noted and advanced with motions to amend and do pass as amended; motions carried.
Most motions were moved by Senator Wynne and seconded by Senator Cannizzaro; the committee used voice votes and recorded individual nays in some cases (notably Senators Titus, Stone and Buck on several items). LCB fiscal and agency witnesses described conceptual amendments that either removed fiscal notes, redirected funding from existing public health infrastructure appropriations, or authorized transfers contingent on federal approval. In several cases agencies indicated they could seek interim funding (IFC) if additional appropriations became necessary.
Why it matters: the committee's work-session approvals set numerous bills on course for further floor action or enrollment with clarified fiscal offsets, conceptual amendments, or requested agency follow-ups; items include health-care coverage timing, corrections-related penalties and several multi-year or one-shot appropriations that will affect departmental budgets.
