A concurrent resolution authorizing the Budget Section of the Legislative Management to hold the required legislative hearings on state plans for the receipt and expenditure of new or revised block grants passed by Congress.
Summary
SCR 4001 is a procedural concurrent resolution that authorizes the Budget Section of the Legislative Management to conduct the public legislative hearings required for North Dakota’s state plans to receive and spend new or revised federal block grants after the 2025 legislative session has recessed or adjourned. The resolution is aimed primarily at ensuring the state can continue to meet federal hearing requirements for block grants enacted or revised by Congress, including those under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 and other related federal statutes.
The resolution also states that the Department of Commerce appropriation bill already serves as the Legislature’s approval and direction for the community services block grant program money for the period ending September 30, 2027. It further delegates to the Budget Section the authority to provide public notice and hold hearings using procedures it deems appropriate during the period from adjournment of the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly through September 30, 2027.
Impact
SCR 4001 does not create a new program or change substantive eligibility rules for grant recipients, but it does affect how North Dakota complies with federal block grant hearing requirements between legislative sessions. It delegates hearing authority from the full Legislative Assembly to the Budget Section of Legislative Management, allowing the state to act on additional or revised federal block grants without waiting for the next regular session. The resolution primarily affects the Legislative Management, the Budget Section, and the Department of Commerce’s administration of federal block grant funds.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the resolution was noncontroversial and broadly supported, passing the House second reading unanimously, 91-0. No committee transcript objections are available, and the measure appears to have been treated as a routine administrative step to preserve the state’s ability to receive federal funds and satisfy hearing requirements during the interim period.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issue is the delegation of public hearing authority from the full Legislature to the Budget Section during the interim, which concentrates procedural responsibility in a smaller legislative body. However, the unanimous vote and lack of recorded committee debate indicate that any concern about delegation, notice procedures, or interim oversight was minimal or not publicly disputed.