Bill
HB 1557
Provides a one-time $221,993 appropriation to North Dakota Dept. of Water Resources to reimburse residents' legal fees for watershed lawsuits heard by the ND Supreme Court.
Note on document scope
- The supplied materials include multiple different bills from several states that share the number "HB 1557." This summary focuses on the bill identified in the Bill Information header and in the North Dakota text included in the document: "A bill for an Act to provide an appropriation to the department of water resources for legal fee reimbursement grants."
Purpose and intent
- Provide one-time, dedicated funding to the North Dakota Department of Water Resources to make grants reimbursing residents for legal fees they incurred in watershed lawsuits heard by the North Dakota Supreme Court. The intent is to offset litigation costs borne by residents in watershed-related legal proceedings.
Key provisions
- Appropriation: $221,993 (one-time).
- Source: monies in the state water commissioner fund in the state treasury (funds not otherwise appropriated).
- Recipient agency: North Dakota Department of Water Resources.
- Use: grants to reimburse residents for legal fees associated with watershed lawsuits heard by the North Dakota Supreme Court.
- Time frame: funding is for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The bill explicitly characterizes the appropriation as a one‑time funding item.
- Language in the text reserves flexibility: it appropriates "$221,993, or so much of the sum as may be necessary," allowing for adjustment down if not all funds are required.
Who would be affected
- Directly: North Dakota residents who incurred legal fees as a result of watershed lawsuits that reached the North Dakota Supreme Court and who qualify under the Department of Water Resources’ grant process (note: the bill text provided does not specify eligibility criteria, application procedures, or reimbursement limits).
- Indirectly: the Department of Water Resources (administration of grant program) and the state water commissioner fund (reduction in fund balance by the appropriation amount).
Procedural/timeline aspects and current status
- Introduced (filed): December 10, 2024 (per header).
- The provided legislative history entries are inconsistent and include actions from multiple jurisdictions. A status line at the top reads: "Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 6 nays 85." However, other entries in the mixed record show readings, referrals, and passage actions from various legislatures.
- Given conflicting records in the supplied materials, the bill’s final disposition is unclear from this packet. Confirm status and any implementing guidance with the official North Dakota Legislative Branch records or the Department of Water Resources.
Notes, limitations, and likely implementation issues
- The text does not include grant eligibility rules, application deadlines, reimbursement caps, or prioritization criteria — those would need to be established by the Department of Water Resources or through follow-up legislation/rules.
- Administrative costs and processes for verifying legal fee claims are not specified; the Department will need to adopt procedures to manage and distribute the funds.
- $221,993 is a modest, one-time amount; total reimbursements will depend on the number of eligible claims and per-claim amounts.
If you want, I can:
- Check the official North Dakota legislative status for HB 1557 and provide the confirmed outcome and any rules or agency guidance; or
- Draft a short list of recommended grant-administration provisions (eligibility, documentation, caps, timeline) that the Department could adopt.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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