Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee concurs in bill to extend Natural Resources Operations backfill to 2029
Summary
Sen. Josh Kaczmeier’s SB 71 would extend the statutory backfill for the Natural Resources Operations (NRO) account from 2027 to 2029 to maintain permitting and mining oversight. DEQ and DNRC testified the account supports roughly $1.1–1.2 million annually in key programs; committee concurred in the bill by voice vote.
Senator Josh Kaczmeier on behalf of Senate District 13 asked the House Natural Resources Committee to extend a temporary general-fund backfill for the Natural Resources Operations (NRO) account so the department can continue mine permitting and oversight. Kaczmeier said Senate Bill 71 would move the sunset for the general-fund transfer from 2027 to 2029 and provide near-term budget stability for permitting staff and program continuity.
The Department of Environmental Quality’s Air, Energy and Mining Division Administrator Dan Walsh testified that DEQ’s mining bureau relies on NRO funding to implement the Metal Mine…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
