AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15-20.2-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the assessment of fees for area career and technology center expenses.
House Bill 1188 amends North Dakota law governing how area career and technology centers assess and collect expenses from school districts. The bill keeps the basic framework that center boards use to charge participating districts based on high school enrollment, while also clarifying that nonparticipating districts that receive services may be charged fees based on their actual use of programs. It also retains special rules for centers that operate solely with mobile units, tying assessments and student allocation to program utilization, enrollment, and accessibility.
The bill also reinforces payment deadlines and collection authority. Participating school districts must remit assessed payments promptly, or within a time set by the center board, but no later than 60 days after receipt of the notice. If payment is late, a civil penalty of 1% per month accrues on unpaid assessments. Overall, the measure is a technical but meaningful update to the statute that governs funding for career and technical education centers and the districts that participate in or benefit from them.
HB1188 amends section 15-20.2-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, affecting the financing and administration of area career and technology centers. It clarifies how center boards may assess participating and nonparticipating school districts for administrative, operating, planning, and capital costs, and it preserves the proportional allocation method tied to enrollment and program use. The bill also continues the civil penalty for late payment, which may affect school district budgeting, billing practices, and collection procedures for these centers.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House 88-0 and the Senate 45-0, with only a small number of absences in each chamber. The unanimous votes suggest legislators viewed the measure as a routine statutory clarification or administrative update rather than a policy dispute.
No notable opposition or substantive controversy is reflected in the available record. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded debate excerpts, the specific rationale for the changes is not documented here. The only likely point of interest is the bill’s treatment of fees for nonparticipating districts that receive services and the continued imposition of a 1% monthly penalty for late payment, but the unanimous votes indicate these provisions did not generate visible disagreement.