SB 2353 North Dakota Senate · 69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26)

AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 15.1-09.1-02.1 and 54-44.4-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to regional education associations.

SB 2353 amends North Dakota law to define required services for regional education associations (REAs) seeking state funding and streamline contracting for these services. It mandates that REAs must provide professional development coordination, technology support, school improvement assistance, student data analysis help, and curriculum enrichment to member school districts (Section 15.1-09.1-02.1). The bill also adds contracts between the Department of Public Instruction and REAs to an exception list in state procurement rules, allowing direct contracting without standard competitive bidding (Section 54-44.4-02). This directly affects school districts participating in REAs and the state's education funding structure. The changes aim to clarify REA service obligations and simplify administrative processes for education support.

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Technology

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Signed into Law

Mar 2025

Introduced Jan 24, 2025 Signed Mar 31, 2025

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What changed between versions

INTRODUCED → Enrollment · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends two sections of the North Dakota Century Code to update requirements for regional education associations and clarify procurement rules for state agencies. The primary changes involve specifying services regional education associations must offer to qualify for state funding and adding new exemptions from standard procurement requirements for various specialized services and emergency purchases.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of procurement exemptions for state agencies by adding specific categories of services and commodities that are not subject to standard procurement requirements, including emergency purchases, employee benefit services, and contracts with regional education associations.

ELIGIBILITY

Regional education associations must now explicitly offer specific services including professional development coordination, technology support supplementation, school improvement assistance, data analysis support, and curriculum expansion to be eligible for state funding.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added for emergency purchases, mandating fair treatment of bidders, written documentation of emergency basis and contractor selection, and federal reimbursement compliance when applicable.

A new exemption was added for contracts between the department of public instruction and regional education associations under the amended section 15.1-09.1-02.1.

EXEMPTIONS

Additional procurement exemptions were added for employee benefit services, trust-related services, investment management services, abandoned vehicle disposal services, and various specialized contracts with state agencies.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 13, 2025 · House Mar 21, 2025

How they voted

47–0

Passed

Total votes 47

Feb 13, 2025

D Democratic5

5 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican42

42 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 1, 2025

Introduced

Filed with Secretary Of State 03/31

legislature

Mar 31, 2025

Signed into law

Signed by Governor 03/27

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

Second reading, passed, yeas 75 nays 9

lower

Mar 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported back, do pass, placed on consent calendar 14 0 0

lower

Mar 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee Hearing 02:30

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Introduced

Introduced, first reading, referred Education Committee

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Second reading, passed, yeas 47 nays 0

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported back, do pass, place on calendar 6 0 0

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee Hearing 02:30

upper

Jan 24, 2025

Introduced

Introduced, first reading, referred Education Committee

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors