25.0169.03000
Sixty-ninth
Legislative Assembly
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Appropriations Committee
A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the judicial branch;
to create and enact a new subsection to section 54-06-08.2 of the North Dakota Century Code,
relating to credit and debit card fees; to amend and reenact sections 27-02-02 and 27-05-03 of
the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the salaries of justices of the supreme court and
salaries of district court judges; to provide for transfers; to provide for a report; and to provide an
exemption.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION. The funds provided in this section, or so much of the funds
as may be necessary, are appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state
treasury, not otherwise appropriated, and from other funds derived from special funds and
federal funds, to the judicial branch for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the judicial
branch, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027, as follows:
Subdivision 1.
SUPREME COURT
Adjustments or
Base Level Enhancements Appropriation
Salaries and wages $12,363,778 $1,488,083 $13,851,861
New and vacant FTE pool 8,740,214 203,936 8,944,150
Operating expenses 2,915,259 219,534 3,134,793
Capital assets 0 866,100 866,100
Total all funds $24,019,251 $2,777,653 $26,796,904
Page No. 1 25.0169.03000
ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 2002
FIRST ENGROSSMENT
with House Amendments
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Less other funds 97,793 (53,664) 44,129
Total general fund $23,921,458 $2,831,317 $26,752,775
Subdivision 2.
DISTRICT COURTS
Adjustments or
Base Level Enhancements Appropriation
Salaries and wages $79,576,340 $13,235,292 $92,811,632
Operating expenses 24,524,619 3,767,875 28,292,494
Capital assets 0 5,528,916 5,528,916
Judges' retirement 177,340 (13,666) 163,674
Total all funds $104,278,299 $22,518,417 $126,796,716
Less other funds 830,318 4,643,380 5,473,698
Total general fund $103,447,981 $17,875,037 $121,323,018
Subdivision 3.
JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSION AND DISCIPLINARY BOARD
Adjustments or
Base Level Enhancements Appropriation
Judicial conduct commission and $1,399,862 $191,985 $1,591,847
disciplinary board
Total all funds $1,399,862 $191,985 $1,591,847
Less other funds 512,317 7,860 520,177
Total general fund $887,545 $184,125 $1,071,670
Subdivision 4.
Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship
Adjustments or
Base Level Enhancements Appropriation
Office of guardianship and conservatorship $0 $936,405 $936,405
Total general fund $0 $936,405 $936,405
Subdivision 5.
TOTAL - SECTION 1
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Adjustments or
Base Level Enhancements Appropriation
Grand total all funds $129,697,412 $26,424,460 $156,121,872
Grand total other funds 1,440,428 4,597,576 6,038,004
Grand total general fund $128,256,984 $21,826,884 $150,083,868
Full-time equivalent positions 384.00 14.00 398.00
SECTION 2. ONE-TIME FUNDING - EFFECT ON BASE BUDGET - REPORT TO THE
SEVENTIETH LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. The following amounts reflect the one-time funding
items included in the appropriation in section 1 of this Act which are not included in the entity's
base budget for the 2027-29 biennium and which the entity shall report to the appropriations
committees of the seventieth legislative assembly regarding the use of this funding:
One - Time Funding Description General Fund Other Funds Total Funds
Information technology equipment $874,216 $0 $874,216
lease
Case management software cloud 0 758,000 758,000
migration
Clerk filing software 0 1,250,000 1,250,000
Court records access system 0 960,000 960,000
Cloud-based storage fees 866,100 0 866,100
Courtroom audio and video equipment 0 1,586,700 1,586,700
Cass County courtroom equipment 0 100,000 100,000
Total $1,740,316 $4,654,700 $6,395,016
SECTION 3. NEW AND VACANT FTE POOL - BUDGET SECTION REPORT.
1.The supreme court may not spend funding from the new and vacant FTE funding pool
line item in subdivision 1 of section 1 of this Act, but may transfer funds from this line
item to the salaries and wages line items within subdivisions 1 and 2 of this Act, to the
guardianship and conservatorship line item within subdivision 1 of this Act, and to the
judicial conduction commission and disciplinary board line item within subdivision 3 of
this Act, as necessary to provide funding for:
a.Filling a new position from the date of hire through the end of the biennium; or
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b.Salaries and wages if actual salaries and wages savings from vacant positions
and employee turnover, adjusted for other uses, are less than the estimate used
by the sixty-ninth legislative assembly in the development of the appropriation.
2.The supreme court shall report to the budget section regarding the use of funding in
the pool, including information on:
a.New FTE positions, including the date hired;
b.Vacant FTE positions, including information regarding positions that become
vacant and positions filled, salaries and wages savings resulting from vacant
positions and employee turnover, and the use of salaries and wages savings for
other purposes; and
c.Additional salaries and wages funding needed due to savings from vacant
positions being less than anticipated.
3.If funding in the new and vacant FTE pool line item is insufficient to provide the
necessary salaries and wages funding for the biennium, the supreme court may
request a deficiency appropriation from the seventieth legislative assembly.
SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION. There are appropriated any funds received by the supreme
court, district courts, and judicial conduct commission and disciplinary board, not otherwise
appropriated, pursuant to federal acts and private gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose
as designated in the federal acts or private gifts, grants, and donations for the period beginning
July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027.
SECTION 5. OTHER FUNDS - STRATEGIC INVESTMENT AND IMPROVEMENTS FUND.
The grand total other funds line item in section 1 of this Act includes the sum of $4,654,700 from
the strategic investment and improvements fund for one-time projects and programs as follows:
Case management software cloud migration $758,000
Clerk filing software 1,250,000
Court records access system 960,000
Courtroom audio and video equipment 1,586,700
Cass County courtroom equipment 100,000
Total $4,654,700
SECTION 6. AMENDMENT. Section 27-02-02 of the North Dakota Century Code is
amended and reenacted as follows:
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27-02-02. Salaries of justices of supreme court.
The annual salary of each justice of the supreme court is one hundred seventy-nine
thousand three hundred twelve dollars through June 30, 2024, and one hundred eighty-six
thousand four hundred eighty-four dollars thereaftertwo hundred seven thousand two hundred
forty - nine dollars . The chief justice of the supreme court is entitled to receive an additional five
thousand seventy-one dollars per annum through June 30, 2024, and five thousand two
hundred seventy-fourseven thousand six hundred forty - seven dollars per annum thereafter.
SECTION 7. AMENDMENT. Section 27-05-03 of the North Dakota Century Code is
amended and reenacted as follows:
27-05-03. Salaries and expenses of district judges.
The annual salary of each district judge is one hundred sixty-four thousand five hundred
thirty-two dollars through June 30, 2024, and one hundred seventy-one thousand one hundred
thirteen dollars thereafterone hundred eighty - four thousand three hundred sixty - six dollars .
Each district judge is entitled to travel expenses, including mileage and subsistence while
engaged in the discharge of official duties outside the city in which the judge's chambers are
located. The salary and expenses are payable monthly in the manner provided by law. A
presiding judge of a judicial district is entitled to receive an additional four thousand six hundred
seventy-fivefive thousand one hundred sixty - two dollars per annum through June 30, 2024, and
four thousand eight hundred sixty-two dollars thereafter.
SECTION 8. A new subsection to section 54-06-08.2 of the North Dakota Century Code is
created and enacted as follows:
The judicial branch may charge a reasonable fee not exceeding the discount charged
by the credit or debit card issuer. The fee may be added to a payment as a service
charge for the acceptance of a payment made by a credit or debit card. The state
court administrator shall determine which nationally recognized cards will be accepted
for payments made to the judicial branch under this section.
SECTION 9. EXEMPTION - TRANSFERS. Notwithstanding section 54-16-04, the director
of the office of management and budget shall transfer appropriation authority between line items
in section 1 of this Act, as requested by the supreme court upon a finding by the court that the
nature of the duties of the court and its staff requires the transfers to carry on properly the
functions of the judicial branch of government.
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