AN ACT to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the insurance commissioner; to create and enact a new section to chapter 26.1-23.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a government self-insurance pool report; to amend and reenact subsection 8 of section 10-04-10 and section 26.1-01-09 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to fees charged by the securities division and the salary of the insurance commissioner; and to provide for a legislative management report.
HB 1010 is the Insurance Commissioner appropriation bill for the 2025-27 biennium. It provides $20.77 million in other funds for the commissioner’s office, including salaries and wages, operating expenses, capital assets, grants, and a new-and-vacant FTE pool. The bill also authorizes the use of additional federal funds that become available during the biennium, subject to reporting requirements to the Office of Management and Budget and the Legislative Council.
Beyond the appropriation, the bill makes several policy and administrative changes. It increases fees charged by the securities division for broker-dealers, agents, investment advisers, federal covered advisers, and investment adviser representatives. It also updates the Insurance Commissioner’s salary schedule, raising the commissioner’s pay over time. In addition, it creates a new reporting requirement for government self-insurance pools, requiring biennial reports to Legislative Management on claims activity, payment history, balances, complaints, and executive/board compensation.
HB 1010 affects state law by amending North Dakota Century Code provisions governing securities registration fees and the Insurance Commissioner’s salary, while also adding a new reporting mandate for government self-insurance pools under chapter 26.1-23.1. It appropriates funds from special and federal sources to the Insurance Commissioner’s office and establishes limits and reporting conditions for one-time funding and the new-and-vacant FTE pool. The bill primarily impacts the Insurance Department, securities industry registrants, and government self-insurance pools, while also creating oversight obligations for legislative reporting.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported. It passed the House 81-8 and the Senate 45-2, indicating strong bipartisan approval with only limited opposition. The available record does not include committee testimony or detailed debate, but the vote totals suggest the appropriation and related fee and reporting changes were generally viewed favorably.
The main points of potential contention are the fee increases for securities division registrants, the salary increase for the Insurance Commissioner, and the added reporting burden on government self-insurance pools. These provisions may have drawn concern from regulated entities and from members wary of increasing costs or administrative requirements, even though the final votes show that opposition was limited. The new-and-vacant FTE pool and the use of additional federal funds also introduce oversight and spending-control issues, but no specific objections are documented in the provided materials.