North Dakota Legislature Begins on February 25 after the "Crossover"

Session on Recess



Legislators have been in recess Feb. 20-24. This comes after reaching the crossover and midpoint of the 2009 Legislative Session.



The Senate introduced 440 bills and 23 resolutions and the House introduced 576 bills and 42 resolutions. All legislation that passed the house of origin is now before the other body for consideration. The Legislature will reconvene on Feb. 25, and lawmakers have until April 30 to wrap up their work.



Key Hearings Held Feb. 16-20



There were no key hearings Feb. 16-20 as this week mainly consisted of final committee work and voting bills out of the House or Senate.



Status of Key Bills at Crossover



HB 1065 – Support

This bill contained $1.2 million for Operation Intern and $1 million for marketing to out-of-state students. The House Education Committee did not support the portion of the bill that provided funding for marketing to out-of-state students. It does support the $1.2 million for Operation Intern, which is also included in the Department of Commerce’s appropriation bill, SB 2018.

Status: Defeated in the House 18-74 – Feb. 6



SB 2003 – Support

This bill is the North Dakota University System appropriation. SB 2003 originally included policy language and $2.7 million (additional $2 million from 2007-09) for expansion of the current technology occupations loan forgiveness program. The expansion would make the program available to students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It would also increase the maximum amount and duration of loan forgiveness from $1,000 for up to three years to $2,000 for up to five years. The policy language was initially amended out of 2003 and placed in SB 2226. It was then amended into SB 2062, and SB 2226 was killed. The appropriation was reduced by $1 million by the Senate, for a total of $1.7 million, and is now split between SB 2003 ($696,000) and SB 2062 ($1 million).

Status: Passed the Senate 46-0 – Feb. 19



SB 2016 – Support

This bill is the Job Service North Dakota appropriation. It includes $1.5 million for Workforce 20/20, $200,000 for the spidering program and funding for New Jobs Training.

Status: Passed the Senate 47-0 – Feb. 17



SB 2018 – Support

This bill is the Department of Commerce appropriation. As amended, it includes an additional $200,000 ($350,000 total) to expand the Innovate ND program to meet increasing demand. It also includes $1.2 million (increase of $600,000) for the Operation Intern program.

Status: Passed the House 41-5 – Feb. 19



SB 2019 – Support

This bill is the Department of Career and Technical Education (CTE) appropriation. It includes $800,000 for the virtual area career and technical education centers (CTE requested an additional $400,000). These centers offer IT courses to students who previously did not have access to them, and each center is required to offer at least two credits of IT coursework to all students in member schools. The bill also provides $1.8 million to increase funding to schools for career and technical education programs (CTE requested an additional $1.2 million). This is important due to the high cost of equipment for these courses and increased staffing needs due to smaller class requirements for lab settings. This provides an incentive for additional schools to add CTE courses, including IT, to their curriculum. It also includes $400,000 to increase the number of career resource coordinators and career advisors. These individuals would assist in providing information to students and educators on the IT cluster.

Status: Passed the Senate 46-0 – Feb. 18



SB 2021 – Support

This bill is the North Dakota Information Technology Department appropriation. It includes $2.4 million for the development a longitudinal database system, an information gathering system for education, workforce training, advising, job placement and policy making. It also contains $1.2 million for increased bandwidth and replacement infrastructure for internet and video conferencing for K-12 schools. An amendment to the bill keeps the appropriation for the longitudinal database system in SB 2021 but changes the funding source to allow ITD to use federal stimulus dollars if available.

Status: Passed the Senate 46-0 – Feb. 19



SB 2040 – Support

This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for new or replacement equipment used for telecommunications infrastructure development. The bill was amended to include an interim study examining all taxes imposed on telecommunications services in this state. The legislative council would analyze all taxes and fees imposed on providers and consumers of telecommunications services, evaluate the fairness of the taxes, and determine if the tax structure impacts the business climate and economic development of the state.

Status: Passed the Senate 27-18 – Feb. 18



SB 2062 – Support

ITCND was monitoring the initial SB 2062, which relates to student opportunity grants. However, SB 2226 (expansion of the technology loan forgiveness program), which ITCND supports, was amended into SB 2062 by the Senate. The bill now contains the policy language that would make the program available to students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It would also increase the maximum amount and duration of loan forgiveness from $1,000 for up to three years to $2,000 for up to five years. The funding for this expansion was originally $2.6 million and was in SB 2003 (North Dakota University System appropriation). The appropriation was reduced by $1 million by the Senate, for a total of $1.7 million, and is now split between SB 2003 ($696,000) and SB 2062 ($1 million).

Status: Passed the Senate 46-0 – Feb. 19



SB 2110 – Support

This bill contains the policy language to expand the Operation Intern program to include apprenticeships and participation from 11th and 12th graders. The $1.2 million in funding for the expanded program is in SB 2018.

Status: Passed the Senate 45-0 – Jan. 30



SB 2226 – Support

This bill contained the policy language to expand the current technology occupations loan forgiveness program to include students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This portion of the bill was moved to SB 2062.

Status: Defeated in the Senate 6-40 – Feb. 19



SB 2269 – Support

This bill builds on the angel fund investment income tax credit that was established during the 2007 session. The tax credit provides an incentive for pools of investors, or angel funds, to invest in high risk economic development projects, which may include IT entrepreneurial ventures. It provides further definition of the composition of an angel fund to guard against potential abuse of the credit by investors. The initial bill made all or part of the unused credit transferable by an angel fund investor with the intention of opening doors for additional capital investment. However, this portion was amended out of the bill.

Status: Passed the Senate 46-0 – Feb. 11



Hearing Schedule and Status Report (Feb. 23-27)



The hearing schedule and status of bills being tracked by ITCND are attached. We will not be offering testimony on all of these bills, but are tracking them because they have a direct or indirect impact on information technology issues, either at the state agency level, political subdivision level or in private business.



For More Information



If at any time you need additional information or know of others who are interested in receiving this report, contact Annika Nelson, ITCND assistant executive director, at office@itcnd.org or 701-355-4458.



Copies of bill drafts and information about the 61st Legislative Session can be found at the Bills and Resolutions link on the North Dakota Legislative Council website at www.legis.nd.gov/.



How to Contact Your Legislators



During a legislative session, a legislator can be reached at the State Capitol through e-mail or by leaving a message with the legislative telephone message center at 888-NDLEGIS (635-3447) or 701-328-3373 (local). These numbers can also be used to obtain information on bills under consideration. Otherwise, a legislator can be reached by mail or e-mail at the address listed in the legislator's bio online under the 61st Legislative Assembly link at www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/61-2009.





Addressing Mail Correspondence

To a Senator:

Honorable (full name)

State Senator

600 E. Boulevard Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58505



Dear Senator (last name)


To a Representative:

Honorable (full name)

State Representative

600 E. Boulevard Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58505



Dear Representative (last name)




2009 Legislative Deadlines




Date

March 5

April 10

April 30
Topic

Crossover for resolutions

Good Friday

Session is limited to 80 legislative days




Legislative Bills Tracked (to date)






Appropriation Bills

SB 2003 – North Dakota University System – Support

SB 2016 – Job Service North Dakota – Support

SB 2018 – ND Department of Commerce – Support

SB 2019 – North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education – Support

SB 2021 – Information Technology Department – Support



Other Bills

HB 1144 – Relating to confidentiality of information contained in records – Track

HB 1202 – Relating to entrepreneurship awards; relating to the Bank of North Dakota and North Dakota development fund, incorporated, use of funds for entrepreneurship awards; and to provide an expiration date – Track

SB 2040 – Sales and use tax exemption for telecommunications infrastructure equipment – Support

SB 2062 – STEM loan forgiveness program – Support; Opportunity grant program - Track

SB 2110 – Expands Operation Intern to include apprenticeships and participation from 11th and 12th graders – Support

SB 2131 – Relating to service charges for recycling and disposal for surplus property – Track

SB 2269 – Relating to angel fund investment income tax credits – Support

SB 2325 – Relating to the streamlined sales tax agreement – Track

SB 2347 – Relating to gross receipts from the sale of items delivered electronically – Track

SB 2390 – Relating to the establishment and development of certified technology parks – Track