Monday marks day 61 of the Legislative Session that is limited to 80 days. Legislative leadership has indicated their goal is to wrap up their work by the end of the month. Very few bills remain in policy committees and appropriations committees are completing their work on budget bills. The shift this week into conference committee mode will be very noticeable. This is where the differences are worked out in bills passed by the House and Senate. At this point in the process, the schedule is fluid, and not much advance notice is provided for when conference committees meet. The best way to stay on top of the schedule is to follow the NDACo bill tracking link which updates multiple times a day. Click here to view the NDACo Bill Tracking Schedule.

Property Tax Relief / Reform

We anticipate the major property tax relief/reform bill, HB 1176, will have movement this week. The Senate made significant changes to the bill including reducing the amount of relief from $1450 to $1250. The House is expected to not concur with the change and appoint a conference committee early this week. A conference committee will more than likely meet this week. NDACo has met with House and Senate members on suggested technical changes to the bill. One of the changes we would like to see includes removing the exclusion of the primary residence credit from voter approved levies. The Senate Finance and Tax Committee continues to sit on two other property tax relief/reform bills (HB 1168 & HB 1575).

Septic System Bill Progress

The Senate defeated HB1541 which included a hefty fiscal note from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for additional duties. DEQ estimated two full-time equivalent (FTE) positions would be needed to adopt rules regarding the licensing, permitting, and inspections of sewer, septic and private water system. The House Energy and Natural Resources Committee gave a Do Pass recommendation on SB 2267 after adopting amendments that largely mirrored language from HB 1541. Additionally, the fiscal note from HB 1541 was removed and instead included a one-time appropriation to defray costs incurred by DEQ for program implementation. Committees in both Chambers recognize the importance of passing a bill to address this multi-session issue.

Priority Bills to Watch this Week

Click to view list of NDACo Priority bills that are still active

• HB 1176 – Property Tax Relief / Reform – Conference Committee
• HB 1168 – Property Tax Relief / Reform – Senate Tax
• HB 1575 – Property Tax Relief / Reform – Senate Tax
• HB 1382 – Gas tax increase for roads – Senate Tax
• SB 2015 – DOCR Budget – House Appropriations
• SB 2012 – DOT Budget – House Appropriations
• HB 1012 – DHHS Budget – Senate Appropriations
• HB 1193 – Back the Blue grants – Vote in Senate possibly Tuesday
• HB 1015 – OMB Budget includes additional Prairie Dog buckets
• HB 1482 – Bond elections for cities, counties and schools to take place during Primary or General Election. DP in Senate Tax – vote on Senate floor.
• HB 1534 – 3% cap on property values for taxation purposes. DNP recommendation in Senate Tax – goes to Senate for vote.

Public Safety Bills

• HB 1003: Attorney General budget – The Senate approved including language prohibiting Judges from waiving 24/7 fees. This is identical language as what was in SB 2365 that was defeated. The bill is likely to head to conference committee.
• HB 1225: Increases penalty for reckless endangerment crimes with a firearm – PASSED Senate
• HB 1596: Decriminalized small amounts of marijuana – FAILED in Senate
• HB 1419: Allows 911 dispatchers & EMS to enroll in public safety NDPERS plan if offered by political subdivision. FINAL PASSAGE
• HB 1197: Study infrastructure needs of county and regional jail facilities. Bill was introduced as $50 million in jail improvement grants – FINAL PASSAGE
• HB 1375: Related to fake ID’s and the penalty. FINAL PASSAGE
• HB 1613: Use of Robots by law enforcement. Amended to address law enforcement concerns. PASSED Senate – returns to House for review.

Other Bills Worth Noting

• HB 1259: Eliminate Daylight Savings time – FAILED
• HB 1387: Schools required to be closed if polling place on Election Day – FAILED
• HB 1297: Prohibits rank choice voting – PASSED Senate
• HCR 3003 – Increases threshold for votes needed to change state constitution measures to 60% – PASSED Senate