Bill > SB2002

This bill provides appropriations and makes several changes for the North Dakota Judicial Branch for the 2025-2027 biennium. The bill allocates a total of approximately $152.9 million in funding, with $147.3 million coming from the general fund, to support the Supreme Court, District Courts, and Judicial Conduct Commission. The funding includes increases for salaries and wages, operating expenses, and capital assets. The bill raises the annual salaries of Supreme Court Justices to $207,249 (with the Chief Justice receiving an additional $7,647) and District Court Judges to $184,366 (with presiding judges receiving an additional $5,162). It creates a new and vacant full-time equivalent (FTE) pool that can be used to fill new positions or cover salary shortfalls, with reporting requirements to the Budget Section. The bill also authorizes one-time funding of $6 million for various technology projects, including case management software, court records access systems, and courtroom equipment. Additionally, the bill allows the Judicial Branch to charge a reasonable fee for credit and debit card payments to cover processing costs. The legislation includes provisions for transferring funds between line items and appropriating any additional federal or private funds received during the biennium.

Budget and Finance

Appropriations (S)

https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo2002.html