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.
SB 2114 amends North Dakota Century Code section 37-17.3-08 to revise the fee structure for access to the North Dakota teletype system, which is part of the state radio/public safety communications system. The bill keeps the basic rule that county and city law enforcement departments pay per-terminal fees, while other law enforcement-affiliated organizations and federal agencies pay the full actual cost of service. State general fund agencies remain exempt from fees.
The main change is to replace the prior percentage-based schedule for county law enforcement with fixed monthly dollar amounts tied to county population. Counties with smaller populations would pay lower per-terminal monthly fees, while larger counties would pay higher amounts, ranging from $40 to $200 per terminal per month depending on population tier. The bill is a technical fee adjustment rather than a broad policy change, but it directly affects local law enforcement budgets and the state division that provides the service.
The bill updates the fee provisions in section 37-17.3-08 of the Century Code governing access to the North Dakota teletype system. It changes how county law enforcement charges are calculated, moving from a fee expressed as a percentage of a director-established amount to specific dollar amounts by county population bracket. This affects county and city law enforcement departments that use the system, as well as other law enforcement-affiliated organizations and federal agencies that continue to pay actual costs, while state general fund agencies remain exempt.
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the Senate 46-1 and the House 89-0, indicating strong bipartisan agreement and little visible opposition. No committee transcript is available, but the near-unanimous votes suggest the measure was viewed as a routine administrative update rather than a controversial policy change.
No committee discussion is available, and the recorded votes show minimal disagreement. The only apparent point of contention is the specific fee burden placed on county and city law enforcement agencies, since the bill sets fixed monthly charges based on county population and could affect local budgets differently across jurisdictions. However, the overwhelming vote margins indicate that any concerns were limited and did not generate significant opposition.