BISMARCK – A North Dakota State Senator explained a 30-page bill that appropriates over three billion dollars to the state universities, which passed the Senate Wednesday.
House Bill 1003 seeks to appropriate over $3.2 billion for state universities, including $1.1 billion to the University of North Dakota, $926 million to North Dakota State University, $248 million to UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and $124 million to Minot State University. Approximately $800 million will be appropriated from the general fund. Approximately $4.6 million would go to freezing tuition costs.
Sen. Ronald Sorvaag, R-Dis. 45, Fargo, told the Senate assembly that the House originally approved $343 million for capital projects to be built over the next four years and to be funded within the next two.
“That was a number our committee felt was way out of reach and out of affordability,” said Sorvaag.
Sorvaag said the Senate Appropriations committee tried to stay within a $180-200 million range and split the projects in half, prioritizing some to be funded this biennium and some next. The ones that were picked for this year proved to have availability of money to help for the projects or potential to raise the money.
The first project Sorvaag listed that the committee picked was the Williston State College Medical Care Facility because it has support to pick up $10 million for the project. The University of North Dakota also has several projects that the Senate chose to fund because UND is paying for 30% of the costs.
Sorvaag said the committee also chose North Dakota State University’s engineering building, costing about $59 million, of which NDSU has committed to pay $25 million. Dickinson State University’s agriculture and technology building was next, of which DSU plans to pay five percent. The Senate chose to pay 100% of a hall demolition at Minot State. Next was the remodeling of Mayville University’s Old Main building, of which the university agreed to match with five million dollars.
HB1003 also includes $3.6 million for behavioral health initiatives which would place between one and four behavioral health specialists at each institution, depending on the size.
“From the testimony of the presidents, this is a real issue,” said Sorvaag. “There were questions of why, and no one actually knows. There’s more demand than resources.”
The committee also added a legislative study to the bill on the impacts of artificial intelligence.
“This was brought to us near the end, but I think it’s kind of paying attention to what’s going on in the news,” said Sorvaag.
Sorvaag said the tuition freeze was left in the bill because the committee wanted to keep the funds as student-friendly as they could.
“At the end of the day it’s about educating our students at an as affordable rate as we could,” said Sorvaag. “I’m very comfortable that your committee did as good as we could in putting that piece together. Capital projects are always debatable on whether they’re needed or not. After listening to these presidents multiple times, we really have a good group of presidents in our system right now. North Dakota higher ed is in good hands.”
HB1003 passed the Senate by a 40-6 vote and will be sent back to the House to consider Senate amendments.
