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HB 1485

An Act amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, further providing for death benefits for public works employees, coroners and staff persons and for definitions; and making an editorial change.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tim Brennan and 16 co-sponsors

HB 1485 raises the personal monthly needs allowance for medical‑assistance beneficiaries by $15 for 2025–27 and requires annual inflation adjustments.

Referred to Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness
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Bill Summary · HB 1485

HB 1485 — Summary (North Dakota)

Status: Filed with Secretary of State 05/02/2025 (enrolled after legislative passage)
Introduced: December 2, 2024
Primary sponsors (House): Representatives McLeod, Rios, Satrom, Schauer, Swiontek, Weisz, Karls, Wagner
Primary sponsors (Senate): Senators Lee, Dever, Hogan, Cleary

Purpose / Intent

HB 1485 updates North Dakota law governing medical assistance eligibility to (1) codify the state’s requirement to provide a personal monthly needs allowance (PNA) to eligible beneficiaries and to require annual review and inflation adjustments, and (2) increase the monthly PNA by $15 per individual for the 2025–2027 biennium. The bill also provides a specific appropriation to fund the increase.

Key provisions

  • Amends NDCC § 50‑24.1‑02.6 (Medical assistance benefits — Eligibility criteria):
    • Confirms the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) must provide a personal monthly needs allowance to eligible medical‑assistance beneficiaries and requires the allowance be reviewed and adjusted annually based on inflation.
  • Increases the personal monthly needs allowance by $15 for each individual covered under NDCC § 50‑24.1‑02.6 for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2027.
  • Appropriation to DHHS to pay for the PNA increase for the 2025–27 biennium:
    • $762,894 from the General Fund (state)
    • $689,466 from federal and special funds
    • Amounts are “or so much as may be necessary” to cover the increase for the biennium.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: medically needy persons who qualify for state medical assistance under NDCC § 50‑24.1‑02.6 — generally persons whose countable income is below the medically‑needy threshold (this includes certain children and family coverage groups and pregnant women as specified in statute).
  • Practically, the increase targets individuals who receive a PNA as part of their public medical assistance (commonly residents receiving institutional/basic care services who qualify for medical assistance and retain a personal needs allowance).

Fiscal and implementation impacts

  • Explicit biennial funding provided: $762,894 GF and $689,466 federal/special funds to DHHS for FY 2026 and FY 2027 (the 2025–27 biennium).
  • DHHS is responsible for implementing the increase and for annually reviewing and adjusting the PNA based on inflation.
  • The increase takes effect for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2027.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The enrolled bill text (conference committee amendments) sets the $15 increase and the appropriation.
  • Legislative vote totals (enrollment): House — yeas 91, nays 2; Senate — yeas 46, nays 1.
  • Final administrative step recorded: filed with the Secretary of State on May 2, 2025.

If you want, I can:
- Extract the exact current and post‑increase monthly PNA dollar amounts in statute (if a baseline number is available), or
- Estimate the number of beneficiaries affected using state caseload data (if you provide or authorize me to use such data).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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