Relating to offering school breakfast and lunch at no cost and the school meals fund; to provide an appropriation; to provide for a transfer; and to provide an effective date.
HB 1627 proposed appropriating $7 million to fund free school meals for eligible students during the 2026-27 school year. It would have provided meals at no cost to students in public or nonpublic schools whose household income is below 300% of the federal poverty level. The bill aimed to cover meal expenses through grants to school districts, with funding effective July 1, 2026. The legislation failed to pass in January 2026, receiving 45 votes in favor and 48 against. This was a funding measure, not a procedural resolution, and would have directly affected low-income students and school districts.
SB 2015 is a funding bill that allocates $247.1 million from North Dakota’s general fund to cover the operating expenses of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for the 2025-2027 biennium. It specifies $266 million for adult services and $26.9 million for youth services, after accounting for $45.7 million in other funding sources. The bill also allows the department to deposit certain revenues (like fines, fees, and commissary profits) into its operating fund for use during the same period. It requires a legislative management study and a report on the department’s operations but does not create new policies or change existing laws.
HB 1018 provides state funding for the North Dakota Historical Society's operations and updates the jurisdiction of the state heritage center under North Dakota law. It authorizes the Bank of North Dakota to offer a new line of credit for state projects and declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation of these provisions. The bill directly affects the Historical Society, the heritage center, and the Bank of North Dakota by altering funding mechanisms and operational responsibilities.
Relating to a limited exemption for development incentive wells; to amend and reenact sections 57‑51‑02.6, 57‑51‑05, and 57‑51.1‑01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the temporary exemption for oil and gas wells employing a system to avoid flaring, an exemption from gross production tax for gas produced from certain enhanced oil recovery projects, and the definition of development incentive well; to provide an effective date; and to provide an expiration date.
SB 2010 provides $2.37 million in general funds from North Dakota's state treasury to the Council on the Arts for the 2025-2027 biennium. The funding covers salaries, operating expenses, and grants to support the Council's operations and arts programs across the state. It also directs all income from the state's cultural endowment fund to further cultural arts initiatives during the same period. This bill directly affects the Council on the Arts and the artists/organizations receiving its grants, ensuring continued funding for arts programming without creating new laws or altering existing policies.
Relating to credit and debit card fees; to amend and reenact sections 27‑02‑02 and 27‑05‑03 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the salaries of justices of the supreme court and salaries of district court judges; to provide for transfers; to provide for a report; and to provide an exemption.
Relating to compensation and mileage and travel expenses for witnesses, the salary of the attorney general, twenty‑four seven sobriety program fees, and the tobacco settlement trust fund; to provide for a report; to provide for a transfer; and to provide an exemption.
HB 1143 allocates $10 million from North Dakota's strategic investment fund to create a grant program for constructing statewide charitable food distribution facilities. The program, active during 2025-2027, provides grants to nonprofits or community groups to cover construction costs (like site acquisition, building, and equipment) for food distribution centers. Recipients must contribute a 1:1 match from nonstate funds and submit annual reports on fund usage and effectiveness. This one-time funding is restricted to facility construction, not operational costs, and directly benefits organizations building infrastructure to support food distribution networks.
SB 2200 appropriates $500,000 from North Dakota's community health trust fund to the Department of Health and Human Services for the 988 crisis hotline program. This funding directly supports the state's implementation and operation of the 988 suicide and mental health crisis hotline service. The appropriation covers the biennium starting July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027, ensuring sustained financial backing for the program during that period.
