North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Dakota Senate Bill SB2097 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	25.0231.04003
2		-	Title.05000
3		-	Adopted by the Political Subdivisions
4		-	Committee
	1	+	25.0231.04000
5	2		Sixty-ninth
6		-	March 28, 2025
7	3		Legislative Assembly
8	4		of North Dakota
9	5		Introduced by
10	6		Senators Mathern, Wanzek
11	7		Representative Brandenburg
12	8		A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 54-60 of the North Dakota
13	9		Century Code, relating to the creation of a rural community endowment fund and a rural
14	10		community endowment fund committee; to provide an appropriation for the rural community
15	11		endowment fund; to provide for a transfer; and to provide for a report.
16	12		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
17	13		SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 54-60 of the North Dakota Century Code is created
18	14		and enacted as follows:
19	15		Rural community endowment fund - Rural community endowment fund committee -
20	16		Purpose - Limitations - Report.
21	17		1.There is created in the state treasury a special fund known as the rural community
22	18		endowment fund, which is a permanent endowment fund under the administration of
23	19		the department.
24	20		2.The rural community endowment fund consists of any moneys transferred to the fund
25	21		by the legislative assembly and any gifts, donations, or bequests received by the
26	22		department for purposes identified in this section. The principal of the fund may not be
27	23		expended. The department shall determine if any gifts, donations, or bequests
28	24		provided for deposit in the fund are considered permanent in nature and to be
29	25		dedicated as principal of the fund in perpetuity or for a term of years, in which case
30	26		only the income earned as a result of the investment of those funds may be expended.
31		-	The department may not expend moneys from the rural community endowment fund
32		-	Page No. 1 25.0231.04003
	27	+	3.Investment of the rural community endowment fund must be under the supervision of
	28	+	the state investment board in accordance with chapter 21 - 10. Interest earned on
	29	+	moneys in the fund must be credited to the fund, which may be spent by the
	30	+	Page No. 1 25.0231.04000
33	31		ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 2097
34	32		FIRST ENGROSSMENT
35		-	PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO
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57		-	until the principal of the fund is at least ten million dollars, of which at least five million
58		-	dollars must be derived from gifts, donations, bequests, or other funding from nonstate
59		-	sources collected by the department for deposit in the fund. Funding directly from state
60		-	sources may not be used unless appropriated by the legislature.
61		-	3.Investment of the rural community endowment fund must be under the supervision of
62		-	the state investment board in accordance with chapter 21 - 10. Interest
63		-	earned Investment earnings on moneys in the fund must be credited to the fund, which
64		-	may be spent by the department, pursuant to legislative appropriations, for providing
65		-	grants in accordance with this section to rural communities in the state to support,
66		-	create, or improve local housing, workforce, business recruitment and commerce,
67		-	infrastructure, or other community needs. Funding may not be provided for operating
68		-	funds of a local entity.
	56	+	department, pursuant to legislative appropriations, for providing grants in accordance
	57	+	with this section to rural communities in the state to support, create, or improve local
	58	+	housing, workforce, business recruitment and commerce, infrastructure, or other
	59	+	community needs. Funding may not be provided for operating funds of a local entity.
69	60		4.The commissioner shall appoint a rural community endowment fund committee
70	61		consisting of the commissioner, nine individuals residing in rural communities, and a
71	62		representative of a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting housing initiatives,
72		-	social and cultural events, and small businesses in ~~that are critical to~~ the ~~vitality~~ of ~~rural~~
73		-	~~communities of in the state. Of~~ the nine individuals residing in rural communities, five
74		-	~~individuals must be appointed~~ for a term of two years and four individuals must be
75		-	~~appointed for an initial term of~~ one year. Thereafter, the four individuals must be
76		-	~~appointed for two - year terms. Terms~~ shall commence on September first of the year of
77		-	~~appointment. The commissioner~~ shall serve as the chairman of the committee.
	63	+	social and cultural events, and small businesses in rural communities of the state. Of
	64	+	the nine individuals residing in rural communities, five individuals must be appointed
	65	+	for a term of two years and four individuals must be appointed for an initial term of
	66	+	one year. Thereafter, the four individuals must be appointed for two - year terms. Terms
	67	+	shall commence on September first of the year of appointment. The commissioner
	68	+	shall serve as the chairman of the committee.
78	69		5.The rural community endowment fund committee shall award grants from the rural
79	70		community endowment fund. When awarding grants from the fund, the committee
80		-	shall prioritize ~~capital~~ projects that support the long - term prosperity, independence,
81		-	~~safety,~~ health, and quality of life of rural communities and their citizens. The committee
82		-	~~shall~~ determine funding application and evaluation processes, including grant award
	71	+	shall prioritize projects that support the long - term prosperity, independence, safety,
	72	+	health, and quality of life of rural communities and their citizens. The committee shall
	73	+	determine funding application and evaluation processes, including grant award
83	74		amounts and recipients, priority of projects, and evaluation criteria of approved
84	75		projects.
85	76		6.The department shall contract with a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting
86		-	housing initiatives , social and cultural events, and small businesses of vital community
87		-	importance in rural communities in the state to assist the department in administering
88		-	Page No. 2 25.0231.04003
	77	+	housing initiatives, social and cultural events, and small businesses in rural
	78	+	communities in the state to assist the department in administering the rural community
	79	+	endowment fund and provide recommendations to the rural community endowment
	80	+	fund committee related to funding, awards, projects, and other purposes. The
	81	+	department may expend up to ten percent of funding available for distribution in the
	82	+	rural community endowment fund for costs of administering the program.
	83	+	7.For purposes of this section, "rural community" means a city with a population of fewer
	84	+	than one thousand individuals as determined by the most recent decennial census.
	85	+	8.Before July first of each year, the department shall report to the legislative
	86	+	management regarding the status of the rural community endowment fund, use of
	87	+	Page No. 2 25.0231.04000
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121		-	the rural community endowment fund and provide recommendations to the rural
122		-	community endowment fund committee related to funding, awards, projects, and other
123		-	purposes. The department may expend up to ten percent of funding available for
124		-	distribution in the rural community endowment fund for costs of administering the
125		-	program.
126		-	7.For purposes of this section, "rural community" means a city with a population of fewer
127		-	than one thousand two hundred individuals as determined by the most recent
128		-	decennial census.
129		-	8.Before July first of each year, the department shall report to the legislative
130		-	management regarding the status of the rural community endowment fund, use of
131	120		funding, and program results. The department shall provide an additional status report
132	121		to each appropriations committee during regular legislative sessions.
133	122		SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - TRANSFER TO RURAL COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT
134		-	FUND - ONE-TIME FUNDING. There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in
135		-	the state treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $5,000,000, which the office of
136		-	management and budget shall transfer to the rural community endowment fund, during the
137		-	biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The appropriation in this section is
138		-	considered a one-time funding item.
139		-	Page No. 3 25.0231.04003
	123	+	FUND. There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not
	124	+	otherwise appropriated, the sum of $5,000,000, which the office of management and budget
	125	+	shall transfer to the rural community endowment fund, during the biennium beginning July 1,
	126	+	2025, and ending June 30, 2027.
	127	+	Page No. 3 25.0231.04000
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