SB 2019 appropriates $51.3 million from North Dakota's general fund for the Department of Career and Technical Education during the 2025-2027 biennium. The funding covers salaries, operating expenses, grants for secondary education, and specific programs like workforce training and STEM initiatives. It directly affects the department and regional organizations receiving $500,000 in workforce training grants, distributed as $230,000 to northwest, $40,000 to northeast, $120,000 to southwest, and $110,000 to southeast organizations. The bill provides no new policy changes but allocates existing funds for operational and program expenses.
HB 1524 creates a formal grant program allowing North Dakota's Department of Commerce to fund regional planning councils. The bill directs the department to award grants supporting local implementation of state programs like housing, workforce development, rural economic initiatives, and local food systems, subject to annual legislative funding. These grants can cover program execution, resource development, and efforts to attract public or private investment in communities. The law, signed by the governor in May 2025, directly affects regional planning councils and the local communities they serve.
SB 2016 appropriates $6.7 million from North Dakota's general fund for Job Service North Dakota to cover salaries, operations, and other expenses during the 2025-2027 biennium. The bill also includes $76 million in total funding (from general, federal, and other sources) to support job services, including $10.9 million specifically for modernizing the state's unemployment insurance computer system. This funding directly affects Job Service North Dakota's operations, enabling it to maintain staff, cover daily costs, and upgrade its unemployment claims processing technology. The bill does not create new policies but provides financial resources for existing services and infrastructure.
SB 2239 establishes a state-funded apprenticeship grant program in North Dakota. The program would provide financial assistance to both apprentices and employers participating in approved apprenticeship training. This bill creates a new funding mechanism within the state code and includes a specific appropriation to support the program's implementation.
HB 1023 provides $10,898,654 in state funding for North Dakota's public employees' retirement system for the 2025-2027 biennium. The appropriation covers salaries, operating expenses, and contingencies to cover the system's ongoing operational costs. This bill directly affects the retirement system's ability to pay benefits and manage its finances, supporting state public employees who rely on this system. It is a routine funding measure with no new policy changes, solely allocating existing state funds.
HB 1602 changes North Dakota's public employee retirement system by closing the traditional defined benefit plan to new hires starting January 1, 2025. Instead, new permanent employees (excluding those in specific exception roles like teachers, law enforcement, or university staff) must join a defined contribution retirement plan. Existing members who joined before 2025 remain in the defined benefit plan, and political subdivisions (like cities or counties) may choose whether to participate in the new defined contribution plan. The bill clarifies that local governments are not required to offer either retirement plan, and no fees apply if they withdraw from the defined contribution system.
HB 1291, despite its title suggesting a "legislative management study," actually creates new enforcement provisions targeting employment of unauthorized workers in North Dakota. The bill prohibits private employers from hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized workers (defined per federal law) and requires labor commissioner investigations for violations, with cases referred to the attorney general for prosecution. Penalties include escalating civil fines ($5,000 to $30,000) and business license suspensions or revocations for repeated offenses. The bill failed to pass the legislature on April 4, 2025, with 44 votes against and 1 in favor.
SB 2227 amends North Dakota's public employees retirement system to require most new state and local government employees to enroll in the retirement plan within their first month of employment, unless they formally waive participation in writing for past service. It also allows retired employees who return to work (with a different employer or in specific unclassified state positions) to permanently opt out of future contributions and retirement plan participation. The law applies retroactively to December 14, 2024, and is declared an emergency measure. This change directly affects public employees, retirees returning to work, and participating government employers.
HCR 3032 is a proposed constitutional amendment (not a regular bill) that would establish a minimum wage of $9.25 per hour for all North Dakota workers, effective January 1, 2027. It requires annual automatic increases tied to the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban consumers, rounded up to the nearest five cents, with the first adjustment based on the 2025 CPI data. If approved by voters in 2026, this would directly affect all employers across the state by mandating these wage standards. The amendment must be ratified by North Dakota voters at the 2026 general election, as it modifies the state constitution.
HB 1179 would require North Dakota's public institutions of higher education to provide faculty members with at least a 12-month appointment 24 days of paid time off annually. It mandates institutions to track accrued time off, sets a limit of 30 days to carry over into the next year, and requires payment for unused time upon termination (capped at 54 days total). Institutions failing to implement this by August 1, 2025, would need to grant 54 days of paid time off to faculty by January 1, 2026. The bill directly affects faculty at all public colleges and universities governed by the state board of higher education.
