Bill
HB 1323
HB 1323 would raise North Dakota lawmakers' pay and expense reimbursements (per diem, lodging, travel) retroactively to Jan 1, 2025.
Status: Withdrawn / Died in committee (Filed Nov 14, 2024; read first Mar 10, 2025; died in House Committee at sine die adjournment May 5, 2025). Sponsors: Reps. Kasper, Kempenich, Koppelman, Monson, S. Olson.
Purpose
- To amend and reenact North Dakota Century Code §54‑03‑20 to revise compensation and expense‑reimbursement rules for members of the Legislative Assembly and to make the act retroactive to January 1, 2025.
Key provisions and changes
- Per‑diem compensation: raises the per‑calendar‑day compensation paid to legislators from $205 (through 6/30/2024) to $213 thereafter for each day of an organizational, special, or regular session and for authorized committee meeting days between sessions.
- Biennial/monthly compensation: raises the monthly biennial allowance from $569 (through 6/30/2024) to $592 thereafter, paid monthly for the term.
- Leadership supplement: increases the additional monthly compensation for majority/minority leaders and the legislative management chair from $408 (through 6/30/2024) to $424 thereafter.
- Lodging reimbursement:
- Limits lodging reimbursement to a monthly maximum set by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director on August 1 of each even‑numbered year.
- The maximum monthly amount is computed as 30 × 70% of the daily lodging reimbursement rate in effect on that date (referencing NDCC §44‑08‑04).
- Members may claim less than the maximum; legislative management may adopt guidelines reducing per‑member reimbursements where multiple legislators share a single dwelling whose total rent exceeds an individual cap.
- Travel reimbursement:
- Members who receive lodging reimbursement may be reimbursed for up to one round trip per calendar week (or portion of a week) while the Assembly is in session, at state employee rates; common‑carrier reimbursement limited to coach fare and capped at 1.5× the motor‑vehicle mileage rate.
- Members who do not receive lodging reimbursement and live outside Bismarck may receive one round trip per day or, alternatively, lodging reimbursement for days they do not claim daily travel — subject to the same monthly maximum.
- Other provisions:
- Travel days count as session/committee days for purposes of compensation.
- Compensation payments are to be made following the organizational session and monthly upon voucher submission during sessions.
- Attendance at a session presumes entitlement to compensation; the statute includes a provision noting, where applicable, exclusion from gross income for tax purposes to the extent permitted under federal law.
- Legislative management must make recommendations and submit any required legislation to adjust legislative compensation before each regular session.
- Retroactivity: the bill would apply retroactively to January 1, 2025.
Who is affected
- Primary: Members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly (including majority/minority leaders and the legislative management chair).
- Secondary: Office of Management and Budget (responsible for setting lodging caps), legislative management (policy/guidelines), and the state payroll/finance apparatus administering payments and reimbursements.
Procedural / timeline notes
- Introduced Nov 14, 2024; read first Mar 10, 2025; referred to committee; did not advance and was reported as dying in committee at the session adjournment (sine die). As not enacted, its proposed changes did not take effect.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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