North Dakota Senate Bill SB2149

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/7/25
• Refer: 1/7/25
• Report Pass: 1/30/25
• Engrossed: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/18/25
• Report Pass: 3/18/25
• Enrolled: 3/20/25
• Passed: 3/24/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-36-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the school construction assistance revolving loan fund; and to declare an emergency.

Summary

SB 2149 revises North Dakota’s school construction assistance revolving loan fund, which is administered by the Bank of North Dakota. The bill keeps the fund as a continuing appropriation and updates the eligibility and application rules for school districts seeking low-interest loans for new construction or remodeling projects. To qualify, a district generally must have a project costing at least $1 million, an expected useful life of at least 30 years, approval from the superintendent of public instruction, public notice of the proposed tax impact, voter or bond authorization, and a completed application to the Bank. The bill also creates a separate pathway for projects located on an Air Force base. For those projects, districts must secure federal authorizations and funding commitments, and the superintendent must designate $20 million in available loan funds through June 30, 2027, or until a loan is made for that purpose. The bill sets a prioritization framework for loan review that considers student occupancy, building age, safety and vulnerability assessments, community support, cost, and other criteria established by the superintendent after consultation with a legislative interim committee.

Impact

SB 2149 amends section 15.1-36-08 of the North Dakota Century Code and changes how the school construction assistance revolving loan fund operates. It increases or clarifies maximum loan amounts based on project size, caps interest at 2 percent, allows refinancing of certain open-market school construction debt when callable, and permits districts with larger unobligated general fund balances to receive reduced loan amounts tied to project cost. It also preserves the Bank of North Dakota’s role in administering the program and authorizes the bank to use a small portion of interest payments for servicing costs. The bill affects school districts, the superintendent of public instruction, and the Bank of North Dakota, and it specifically creates a targeted funding mechanism for school facilities on Air Force bases.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate 46-0 and the House 93-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. The emergency clause suggests lawmakers viewed the changes as time-sensitive, likely to ensure loan availability and program administration without delay.

Contention

No committee testimony or recorded debate was provided, and the vote totals show no recorded dissent. The main policy choices reflected in the bill are administrative and fiscal rather than ideological: how much to lend, which projects to prioritize, and how to treat projects on Air Force bases versus other school construction projects. Any potential contention would likely center on the size of the loan caps, the $20 million set-aside for Air Force base facilities, and the criteria used by the superintendent to rank competing applications, but no specific objections are documented in the available materials.