REVISEDBURGUMRELEASESSTATEMENTONENDOFLEGISLATIVESESSION

Nowatzki,MiketoMike 8:14PM
Pleasenotecorrectionofoverallbudgetfigureto$13.6billion.

NEWS:FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
Contact:MikeNowatzki,701.328.2424

Burgum:Sessionfundspriories,leavesstatewellposionedforthefuture

BISMARCK,N.D.(April27,2017)NorthDakotaiswellposionedforthefuturewithaleaner,moreecientstate
governmentandsmallerbudgetthatprovidespermanentpropertytaxrelief,fullyfundsK12educaonanduses
innovaveapproachestosupportotherpriories,Gov.DougBurgumsaidThursdayaerthe65thLegislaveAssembly
adjournedsinedie.

Despitetheunprecedentedrevenueshorallwefacedheadingintothissession,wewereabletofundourpriories
andbalancethebudgetthroughsensiblecuts,limiteduseofreservesandnewiniavesthatwillstreamlinestate
governmentandmakeitmoreresponsivetotaxpayers,Burgumsaid.Overthenext20months,ouradministraon
willworkrelesslytocarryoutthisbudgetandidenfywaystoreinventgovernmentandimproveservicestothe
cizensofNorthDakota.

The$4.3billiongeneralfundbudgetfor201719representsamorethan28percentdecreasefromthecurrenttwo
yearbudgetcycle,whichendsJune30.

ThebudgetapprovedThursdaycontainsmorethan$1.3billioninlocalpropertytaxrelief,including$161millionin
statefundingtocoverthecostoffederallyandstatemandatedcountysocialservicesandreducelocalpropertytax
rates.

Thestatesoverallbudgetwilldecreasefrom$14.2billionto$13.6billion.

WethanktheLegislatureforworkingwiththeexecuvebranchandotherstateagenciestocurbspendingandcreate
abalancedbudget,Burgumsaid.OurbalancesheetremainsstrongandNorthDakotasfutureisbrighterthanever.

Followingisasnapshotofsomeofthelegislaonsupporngpriories:

PROPERTYTAXRELIEF
SenateBill2206transfersthefundingresponsibilityforsocialservicesfromcounestothestateduringa
twoyearpilotprogram,creang$161millioninpermanentpropertytaxreliefwhilerepealingthe
unsustainable12percentstatepaidpropertytaxbuydownprogram.ThebillalsodirectstheDepartmentof
HumanServicestodevelopaplantolookatimprovingtheeciencyandeecvenessofhowsocialservices
aredeliveredtoclientsacrossthestate.
ThestateconnuestoprovidepropertytaxreliefthroughK12fundingtoreducelocalmilllevies,tothetune
ofanesmated$1.13billionin201719.
Reliefalsowillbeprovidedthrough$14.8millionforthehomesteadtaxcredit,$8.1millionforthedisabled
veteranstaxcredit,$24.2millionincourtadministraoncostsandanundeterminedamountfromstate
administraonofchildsupportenforcement.

K12ANDHIGHEREDUCATION
Theinnovaveeducaonbill,SB2186,empowerslocalschooldistrictstobeershapeeducaonaldelivery
tomeettheneedsofthe21stcenturybyallowingschoolstosubmitarequesttowaiveseconsoflawrelated
toK12educaon,providedtheirplanimprovesthedeliveryoradministraonofeducaon,increases
educaonalopportuniesorimprovesstudentsacademicsuccess.
Thankslargelyto$110millionfromtheFoundaonAidStabilizaonFund,K12fundingthroughtheperpupil
studentpaymentinHB1013washeldharmless,ensuringthatstudentsandteachersareprotectedfromthe
 economicdownturnfacingthestate.Specialeducaongrantsalsowereincreasedby$2million.
TheNorthDakotaUniversitySystemsbudgetincludesaSharedCampusServicesLinewith$500,000foropen
educaonalresourcesandasystemwidesharedservicesreviewtondecienciesbetweencampusesand
throughouttheenresystem.
TheUNDSchoolofMedicineandHealthScienceswillreceive$15.2millionforthestudentresidency
program,whiletheEducaonChallengeGrantsprogramwillreceive$2million.

GROWINGOURECONOMYANDJOBS
TheDepartmentofCommercebudgetbill,SB2018,containsfundingtohelpdiversifyoureconomyand
fosterjobcreaon,including$3millionforfurtherdevelopmentoftheGrandSkyunmannedaircrasystems
(UAS)businessandtechnologyparkinGrandForksand$2millionforNorthernPlainsUASTestSiteoperaons.
HB1035ensurestheangelfundprogramcanconnueitsimportantroleofencouragingcapitalformaon
andbuildinginvestmentcapacityfornewandexpandingbusinessesinNorthDakotaandbeyond.
HB1296eliminatesunemploymentinsurancepaperreporngforbusinesses.Electronicreporngismore
ecientforbothNorthDakotaJobServiceandemployers,andeliminangpaperreporngwillsavemoneyand
mewhileimprovingcustomerservice.
Legislaonprovidesgrantfundingof$35milliontotheWillistonairportand$5milliontotheDickinson
airport,supporngeconomicacvity.

CORRECTIONSREFORM:Thegovernorsignedapackageofbillsthataimtoreducespendingoncorreconswhile
movingfundingupstreamtoprovideaddionalsupportforpeopledealingwithbehavioralhealthandsubstanceabuse
issuesandavoidaddionalfuturecostsinhealthcareandthecriminaljuscesystem.
SB2015,theDepartmentofCorreconsandRehabilitaonbudget,redirects$7milliontoimproveaccessto
eecve,communitybasedsubstanceabusetreatmentandanaddional$500,000todevelopanetworkof
treatmentproviderstoservepeopleinthecriminaljuscesystemandreducerecidivism.
Juscereinvestmentlegislaon,HB1041,reducesthedrugpossessionchargelevel,establishesprobaonas
thepresumpvesentenceforlowlevel,nonviolentfeloniesandhasotherprovisionsdesignedtofreeup
limitedandcostlyjailandprisonspace.
Legislaonwasapprovedpriorizingprisonspaceforpeopleconvictedofseriousandviolentoenses,while
HB1269reducestheminimummandatorypenalesforoensesinvolvingacontrolledsubstanceoranalog,
givingthecourtsbroadersentencingdiscreonthatcanresultinmoremeaningfulandcosteecve
sentencing.

PUBLICSAFETYANDSECURITY
Toimprovecommunicaonscapabiliesforlawenforcement,ambulanceservicesandotherrstresponders,
HB1178authorizesthecreaonofastatewideinteroperableradionetwork.
InresponsetotheDakotaAccessPipelineprotests,thegovernorsignedlegislaondesignedtoprotect
landownerrights,detercriminalacvityandaidlawenforcement.
HB1430addressesthedangersofnumerousdistracngbehaviorswhiledriving,beyondtexngwhile
driving.

HB1359createsaSilverAlertNocaonSystemthatallowsforanocaonsimilartoanAmberAlert
whenadisabledadult,vulnerableelderlyadultsorminorwithadevelopmentdisabilityisreportedmissingto
lawenforcement.
Together,HB1104,HB1106andSB2110allowthestatetoworkwithcricalinfrastructureownersand
providerstounderstandcyberthreats,tobeproacveinsuppornglifelineserviceproviderswhenunder
threatoraackbycyberevents,andtouseNaonalGuardcyberproteconanddefenseassetsastheyre
developed.
SB2322givesnancialindustryprofessionals,ourstateSecuriesCommissioner,andourAgingServices
professionalsnewtoolstohelpdetectandpreventnancialexploitaonofseniorsandvulnerableadults.

HEALTHANDENVIRONMENT
SB2344establishesamedicalmarijuanaprogramtobeadministeredbytheNorthDakotaDepartmentof
Health,witha$1.56millionbudgetandsixFTEposions,withabouthalfthebudgetcomingfrompaent,
caregiver,growerandsellerfeesandtheotherhalfcomingfromthegeneralfund.
ThebillremediessomeofthechallengesposedbylastyearsMeasure5,includingaddingdecriminalizaon
languageandaddingterminalillnesstothelistofmorethanadozenqualifyingdebilitangmedicalcondions
includedintheoriginalmeasure.
SB2327willcreateanew,standaloneDepartmentofEnvironmentalQualitybyJuly1,2019,byseparang
theEnvironmentalHealthSeconfromtheDepartmentofHealth.Thiswillenablethestatetobeeraddress
environmentalneedsandincreasethevisibilityofthisimportantworkbyelevangtheDEQtoacabinetlevel
agency.
Asrecommendedbythegovernor,theLegislaturerepealedBreatheNDandmovedalltobaccoprevenon
andcontrolacviestotheDepartmentofHealth,boosngeciencybycentralizingeortstopreventand
reducetobaccouseamongyouthsandadultsintooneagency.

HUMANSERVICES
HB1040providesaddionalfundingforbehavioralhealthservicesandcreatesanevidencebasedalcohol
anddrugeducaonprogramtoeducateminorsaboutalcoholandsubstanceabuse.
HB1038supportstheestablishmentofacaregiverresourcecenterwebsite,providingeasyaccessto
caregiverinformaoninacentralizedlocaonforcaregiversandthegeneralpublic.
HB1136putsthesubstanceusedisordertreatmentvouchersystemintostatelaw.
SB2088broadensthescopeofworkforaddiconcounselorstoincludeniconeandproblemgamblingand
reducesbarrierstolicensingtosupportworkforcedevelopment.
SB2251willprovideearlysupportandintervenonstokeepsubstanceexposedinfantsintheirhomeswhile
theirparentsreceivetreatment,reducingthelikelihoodthatthesefamilieswillconnuetorelyextensivelyon
governmentservicesinthefuture.
SB2342createsa10member,muldisciplinarytaskforcetostudytheprevenonofsexualabuseof
childrenandproviderecommendaonsincludingpolicychanges,trainingforschoolpersonnel,educaonal
informaonforparentsandcounselingandresourcesforstudentsaectedbythistypeoftrauma.

TRANSPORTATION
SB2012,theNorthDakotaDepartmentofTransportaon(NDDOT)budgetbill,opmizesthedepartments
67maintenanceseconsbyconsolidangeightsmaller,outdatedseconshopsintolargerserviceareas.This
allowstheNDDOTtorealizetechnologicaladvancesinsnowremovalequipmentandrecognizesthestates
changingdemographicsandtrac.ThebillalsoallowstheNDDOTtoworkwithpolicalsubdivisionstolease
thebuildingsandtransferusedsnowplows,ifrequested.
SB2012alsoopmizesNDDOTdriverslicensesites,movingservicesfromninesatellitesitestothemain
driverslicensesites,resulnginacostsavingsandanetincreaseincounterhoursanddrivingtestsavailable.
HB1299allowsforonlinerenewalofdriverslicenses.Noncommercialdriverscanapplybymailor
electronicallyforrenewalofalicenseduringeveryotherrenewalcycle.Thoseunder65willonlyneedtovisita
driverslicenseoceonceevery12yearsforrenewal.
HB1255directstheNorthDakotaDepartmentofTransportaon(NDDOT)toestablishalimited
transportaonnetworkofdesignatedhighwayswithhighertruckweightlimits,allowingshipperstobemore
ecientandmakelesstrips.
HB1202requirestheNDDOTtostudytheuseofautonomousvehiclesonstatehighwaysand
reportthefindingstothe66thLegislativeAssembly.

WATERPROJECTSANDFLOODPROTECTION
HB1020contains$298.8millioninnewfundingforwaterprojectsacrossthestate.
Thebillalsocontainslegislaveintenttoprovideupto$193millionforoodcontrolprojectsinMinotover
thecourseofthenextfourbienniaandupto$30millionin201719fortheRedRiverValleyWaterSupply
Projectforplanning,perming,andconstruconrelatedexpenses.
HB1374alsoprovidesintentfortheStateWaterCommissiontohaveitssevenmembersbeappointedfrom
areasofthestatethatrepresenteachofthestatessevenmajordrainagebasinsandlimitsdevelopment
downstreamofdamswithinbreachinundaonzones.

ENERGY,NATURALRESOURCESANDAGRICULTURE
HB1336providesforoilandgasoperatorstoconductvoluntaryenvironmentalhealthandsafetyauditsto
ndandxpotenalviolaonsofstatelaws,freefromthreatofcivilpenalesifcertaincondionsaremet.
ThisconceptismodeledaerstateslikeTexas,SouthDakota,WyomingandOklahoma.
HB1347increasestheappropriaontotheAbandonedWellOilandGasSitePluggingRestoraonFund
Legacyprogramtoremediateoldoileldissueswheretheresnoresponsiblepartyunderlaw.Italsoconnues
studiesonbrinepondremediaonandconductsastudyonpipelineriskassessmentandleakdetecon
technology.
HB1257decreasestheminimumroyaltyownerandworkinginterestownerconsentneededtoformaunit
from60percentto55percent,allowingforgreaterpossibilityofunizaoninthefutureforincreasedoil
recoveryandfootprintreducon.
SB2134establishesstatepolicyfordenionofmineralownershipundertheMissouriRiverandprovides
dueprocesstothosewhowishtochallengethepresumpveordinaryhighwatermark.Thisbillsetsastatuteof
limitaonsforcourtchallengesofNorthDakotaIndustrialCommissionordinaryhighwatermark
determinaonsandestablishesamelinefordistribungleaseandmineralrevenuetotherighulowners.
HB1433willmakeiteasierforfoodproducerstoselldirectlytoconsumers.
HB1204reducestheagetoqualifyforanapprencehuntervalidaonlicensefrom16to12yearsold,and
allowsyouthswhoturn11beforetheendofthecalendaryeartoreceiveawhitetaildoelicensevalidforonly
theyouthhunngseason.
HB1419appropriates$250,000totheGameandFishDepartmenttoestablishandadministerashoong
sportsgrantprogram,whichmaybemadeavailabletoschools,clubsandorganizedyouthgroupsinthestate.
HB1207allowstheGameandFishDepartmenttoseizetangiblepropertypresumedabandonedonstate
gamerefugesandstreamlinestheprocessforauconingthepropertytobenettheReportAllPoachers
rewardsfund.