HB 1553 requires all North Dakota public and nonpublic schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student, eliminating meal debt restrictions that previously barred students with unpaid balances from meals or activities. It prohibits schools from stigmatizing students based on meal payment status (e.g., using tokens or public lists) or denying participation in school activities due to meal debt. The bill appropriates $140 million from the legacy earnings fund to the Department of Public Instruction for school meal grants, covering the 2025-2027 biennium. This policy directly affects all K-12 students and schools receiving state meal funding, ensuring universal access to meals without financial barriers.
HB 1560 would create a property tax reduction for North Dakota homeowners who have owned their primary residence for 30 years or more, reducing their taxable value by up to $18,000 annually. Homeowners must apply by August 1 each year (with 2025 applications due by August 1, 2025), and the credit applies to both standard real estate and mobile homes. Co-owners and spouses both qualify for the reduction if one meets the 30-year ownership requirement. The bill failed to pass the legislature in February 2025.
HB 1517 would create the North Dakota Student Teacher Scholarship Program to support future educators. It directs the state board of higher education to administer $4.2 million in state funds (for 2025-2027) to provide scholarships of up to $3,000 per semester toward tuition and fees for student teachers enrolled in state-approved teacher preparation programs during their student teaching experience. Eligibility requires enrollment in such a program, satisfactory academic progress, and no existing teaching license. The program would directly benefit undergraduate student teachers pursuing initial teaching licensure in North Dakota.
HB 1236 amends North Dakota law to specify that hunting and fishing license fees and application fees can only fund state wildlife and fish department programs unrelated to chronic wasting disease (CWD). The bill restricts the use of these fees, ensuring they cannot support CWD management or research. It directly affects the North Dakota Game and Fish Department by altering how it allocates revenue from hunting and fishing permits. The change clarifies that existing fee revenue must be used for general department administration, not specific disease-related initiatives. The bill failed to pass in the legislature during the 2025 session.
HB 1502 would limit North Dakota's state general fund budget growth to a maximum of 3% per two-year budget cycle, unless a two-thirds vote of both legislative chambers approves a higher increase. The bill allows unused portions of the 3% allowance to be carried forward for up to three budget cycles to exceed the limit later. It directly affects the state budget process by imposing a spending cap on the legislature's annual budget decisions. This procedural bill, if enacted, would establish a new rule in the state code governing how much the state can spend from its general fund each biennium.
HB 1552 would limit home rule counties and cities in North Dakota to a maximum 3% sales, use, or gross receipts tax rate after June 30, 2025. It prohibits new taxes or rate increases above 3% for existing local taxes after that date, though taxes approved before July 1, 2025, at higher rates could continue until their approved expiration period ended. The bill affects all counties and cities with home rule authority that levy these local taxes. It takes effect for taxable events occurring after June 30, 2025.
HCR 3002 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow North Dakota to authorize and regulate sports betting within the state. If approved by voters, it would amend the state constitution to permit the legislature to license and regulate sports betting on professional and college sports. All tax revenue generated from sports betting would be required to fund K-12 public schools. This change would directly affect all North Dakotans by altering the state's legal framework for gambling and directing new revenue toward public education.
