25.3103.01000
Sixty-ninth
Legislative Assembly
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives Murphy, Hager, Novak, Jonas, Weisz, Conmy
A concurrent resolution to amend and reenact section 2 of article IX of the Constitution of North
Dakota, relating to distributions from the common schools trust fund.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
This measure permits the funding of school construction across the state with distributions from
the common schools trust fund totaling three billion dollars over ten years, at a rate of three
hundred million dollars per year.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF NORTH DAKOTA, THE
SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:
That the following proposed amendment to section 2 of article IX of the Constitution of
North Dakota is agreed to and must be submitted to the qualified electors of North Dakota at the
general election to be held in 2026, in accordance with section 16 of article IV of the
Constitution of North Dakota.
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Section 2 of article IX of the Constitution of North Dakota is
amended and reenacted as follows:
Section 2.
1.Distributions from the common schools trust fund, together with the net proceeds of all
fines for violation of state laws and all other sums which may be added by law, must
be faithfully used and applied each year for the benefit of the common schools of the
state and no part of the fund mustmay ever be diverted, even temporarily, from this
purpose or used for any purpose other than the maintenance of common schools as
provided by law.
2.Distributions from an educational or charitable institution's trust fund must be faithfully
used and applied each year for the benefit of the institution and no part of the fund
may ever be diverted, even temporarily, from this purpose or used for any purpose
other than the maintenance of the institution, as provided by law.
Page No. 1 25.3103.01000
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3035
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25 Sixty-ninth
Legislative Assembly
For the biennium during which this amendment takes effect, distributions from the perpetual
trust funds must be the greater of the amount distributed in the preceding biennium or ten
percent of the five-year average value of trust assets, excluding the value of lands and
minerals. Thereafter, biennial
3.Biennial distributions from the perpetual trust funds must be ten percent of the
five-year average value of trust assets, excluding the value of lands and minerals. The
average value of trust assets is determined by using the assets' ending value for the
fiscal year that ends one year before the beginning of the biennium and the assets'
ending value for the four preceding fiscal years. Equal amounts must be distributed
during each year of the biennium.
4.In addition to the distributions under subsection 3, for the 2027 - 28 through 2035 - 36
bienniums, biennial distributions from the perpetual trust funds must include an
additional six hundred million dollars, equally distributed during each year of the
biennium, to fund school construction statewide in accordance with the statutory state-
funded construction program.
Page No. 2 25.3103.01000
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