North Dakota Senate Bill SB2114

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/7/25
• Refer: 1/7/25
• Report Pass: 1/17/25
• Engrossed: 1/21/25
• Refer: 2/13/25
• Report Pass: 3/7/25
• Enrolled: 3/18/25
• Passed: 3/21/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 2 of section 37-17.3-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the state radio system and service fees.

Summary

SB 2114 amends North Dakota Century Code section 37-17.3-08 governing access to the North Dakota teletype system, which is part of the state radio/public safety communications system. The bill revises how service fees are charged for county and city law enforcement departments that use the system, keeping the fee structure on a per-terminal basis and specifying that state general fund agencies continue to pay no fee. It also confirms that other law enforcement-affiliated organizations and federal agencies must pay the actual costs incurred by the division for providing the service. The bill replaces the prior percentage-based fee schedule for county law enforcement with fixed monthly dollar amounts tied to county population ranges. Counties with smaller populations pay lower monthly fees per terminal, while larger counties pay higher amounts, with the highest tier set for counties of 25,000 or more residents. The measure is a technical but meaningful adjustment to the funding formula for law enforcement communications services, likely intended to simplify billing and align charges more clearly with county size and service use.

Impact

SB 2114 directly amends section 37-17.3-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, changing the statutory fee schedule for access to the state teletype system. It affects county and city law enforcement departments, other law enforcement-affiliated organizations, federal agencies, and state general fund agencies by clarifying who pays, how fees are calculated, and which users remain exempt. The bill does not alter access to the system itself, but it changes the financial obligations associated with using the state radio/teletype infrastructure.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been received favorably and with little opposition. It passed the Senate 46-1 and the House 89-0, indicating broad bipartisan support. The absence of committee transcript discussion suggests the measure was likely viewed as a routine administrative or fiscal update rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

The only visible opposition was a single negative vote in the Senate, but no recorded discussion explains the objection. Potential points of concern would likely have centered on the fairness of the new fee tiers, the cost burden on smaller counties, or whether the fixed dollar amounts accurately reflect actual service costs. However, the overwhelming votes in both chambers suggest that any disagreement was limited and did not materially affect the bill’s advancement.