WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 1310

Department of Corrections; renaming the Department of Corrections; codification; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Justin Humphrey

HB 1310 would overhaul North Dakota court costs, fees, and reimbursements (adjusting who pays, how charged, and repealing several fee provisions); it did not advance in session.

Second Reading referred to Rules
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1310

HB 1310 — Summary (North Dakota)

Status: Introduced November 13, 2024. Second reading — failed to pass (yeas 4, nays 87).
Classification: Bill (would amend North Dakota Century Code)

Main purpose

HB 1310 would revise multiple statutes in the North Dakota Century Code to change how certain court-related costs, fees, reimbursements, and related funds are assessed, collected, and administered. It also repeals several existing statutory provisions dealing with crime‑stopper reward repayment, victim/witness program fees, and the court facilities improvement and maintenance fund.

Key provisions (by subject)

  • Costs of prosecution and defendant obligations

    • Amends section 12.1‑32‑02 to adjust sentencing alternatives language and explicitly list payment of “reasonable costs of the person's prosecution” among permissible sentencing elements.
    • Modifies related sentencing and credit-for-time provisions where necessary.

  • Presentence investigation/report costs

    • Amends sections (including 12.1‑32‑07 subsections 2 & 4 and 12.1‑32‑08) to change how the cost of a presentence investigation and report is handled — who may be charged, and how those costs are recorded/imposed in criminal judgments.

  • Indigent defense reimbursement and application fee

    • Revises statutes governing reimbursement for indigent defense costs and expenses, and alters the fee structure for the indigent defense services application (specific section references include 29‑07‑01.1 and 29‑26‑22).
    • May change who is required to reimburse counsel costs and under what circumstances.

  • Court administration and supervision fees

    • Modifies the court administration fee and the community service supervision fee (amending statutory references in chapters dealing with fees and collections, including sections in Title 39, 54, and 62).

  • Repeals

    • Repeals five statutory provisions:
    • 12.1‑32‑02.2 (related to sentencing/repayment mechanics),
    • 27‑01‑10 and 27‑05.2‑08/09/10 (relating to repayment of rewards paid by CrimeStoppers programs, fees for crime victim and witness programs, and the court facilities improvement and maintenance fund).
    • These repeals indicate consolidation, redirection, or elimination of some existing fee/fund mechanisms.

  • Application clause

    • The bill includes a provision governing application (timing or scope) — typically intended to clarify when amended rules would take effect or to which cases they would apply.

Who would be affected

  • Criminal defendants (particularly regarding court-ordered costs, presentence investigation charges, and community supervision fees)
  • Indigent defense providers and applicants (changes in application fees and reimbursement rules)
  • Courts and court administration offices (changes in fee collection and recordkeeping)
  • County and state agencies that administer victim/witness programs, CrimeStoppers reward payments, or court facility funds (due to repeals)
  • Potentially victims and community service programs, depending on how fee changes are implemented

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced 11/13/2024. Reached second reading but failed (yeas 4, nays 87) — the bill did not advance in that legislative session as of the noted vote.
  • Because the measure failed on second reading, none of the proposed statutory changes would take effect. If reintroduced in a future session, text and provisions could be revised.

Fiscal and operational impacts

  • The bill text provided does not include a fiscal note for North Dakota. Changes to fee structures, reimbursements, and repealed funds could shift revenue between state, county, and court entities and alter county/court administrative burdens. Specific budgetary impacts would require a fiscal analysis based on the final text and assumptions about fee collection and caseloads.

If you want, I can:
- Locate and summarize the exact amended language for each cited NDCC section (if you provide the full text or authorize me to retrieve it), or
- Draft a short fiscal-impact checklist listing agencies and budget lines likely to be affected.

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

Sign in to ask a question.