25.1112.01001
Title.02000
Adopted by the Education Committee
Sixty-ninth
February 18, 2025
Legislative Assembly
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives O'Brien, Pyle, Schreiber-Beck, Swiontek
Senator Axtman
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 15.1-02 and a new section to
chapter 54-44.4 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to duties of the superintendent of
public instruction andprovide for a legislative management study regarding the establishment of
a government spending database; and to provide an appropriation; and to provide an effective
date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 15.1-02 of the North Dakota Century Code is created
and enacted as follows:
Training of school officials.
The superintendent of public instruction shall:
1. Contract for training servicesfor school board members, superintendents, principals,
and business managers relating to the requirements of section 2 of this Act.
2. Ensure the training includes academic best practices, personnel management,
financial operations, facility planning, and regulatory compliance.
SECTION 2. A new section to chapter 54-44.4 of the North Dakota Century Code is created
and enacted as follows:
Government spending database - Requirements - State treasurer - Office of
management and budget - Superintendent of public instruction.
1. As used in this section, "submitting party" means:
a. A budget unit under section 54 - 44.1 - 04;
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HOUSE BILL NO. 1329
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO
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b. A political subdivision;
c. A school district; and
d. An institution under the control of the state board of higher education.
2. The state treasurer shall collect data from submitting parties and establish and
maintain a government spending database that is accessible without cost through the
internet and contains detailed expenditure data collected from submitting parties. The
data must be updated at least monthly.
3. The database must include for each expenditure:
a. The amount paid.
b. The payment date.
c. The recipient name.
d. The paying entity.
e. The employee position, if for a personnel payment.
f. For a school district, with respect to educational materials:
(1) A description of curriculum.
(2) The publisher and author of a textbook.
(3) A description of software specifications and developer identification.
g. A standardized categorization using United States census bureau codes for state
and local transactions and nationally recognized standardized codes for school
districts and institutions of higher education.
4. The database must provide:
a. Search capabilities.
b. Data aggregation tools.
c. Download options in common formats.
d. Anonymous salary and benefit information.
e. Regular updates of all information.
5. The office of management and budget, in coordination with the state treasurer shall
establish data submission standards for the submitting parties, develop security
protocols, create reporting schedules, and ensure compliance with section 44 - 04 - 18.
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6. A submitting party shall provide the required data as directed, ensure the accuracy of
the data, and use existing resources for compliance with the requirements of this
section.
SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT STUDY - GOVERNMENT SPENDING
DATABASE. During the 2025-26 interim, the legislative management shall consider studying
the feasibility of the establishment of a government spending database. The study must include:
1.A review of the training services necessary for school board members,
superintendents, principals, and business managers regarding the government
spending database, including best practices, personnel management, financial
operations, facility planning, and regulatory compliance.
2.The feasibility of establishing a database that compiles the following information for
each expenditure:
a.The amount paid.
b.The payment date.
c.The recipient name.
d.The paying entity.
e.The employee position, if for a personnel payment.
f.For a school district, with respect to educational materials:
(1)A description of curriculum.
(2)The publisher and author of a textbook.
(3)A description of software specifications and developer identification.
g.A standardized categorization using United States census bureau codes for state
and local transactions and nationally recognized standardized codes for school
districts and institutions of higher education.
3.The feasibility of establishing a database capable of providing:
a.Search capabilities.
b.Data aggregation tools.
c.Download options in common formats.
d.Anonymous salary and benefit information.
e.Regular updates of all information.
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The legislative management shall report its findings and recommendations, together with any
legislation necessary to implement the recommendations, to the seventieth legislative assembly.
SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - STATE TREASURER LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL -
CONSULTANTS FOR INTERIM STUDY - GOVERNMENT SPENDING DATABASE STUDY -
ONE-TIME FUNDING. There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state
treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $350,000$97,000, or so much of the sum as
may be necessary, to the state treasurerlegislative council for the purpose of establishing and
maintainingcontracting with a consultant to assist in conducting a study regarding the feasibility
of a government spending database, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending
June 30, 2027. The funding provided in this section is considered a one-time funding item.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. Sections 1 and 2 of this Act become effective July 1, 2026.
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