Legislation

Child Custody

• Addresses visitation rights of family members of children whose parent is deployed
• Addresses military deployments when considering child custody
• Addresses temporary child custody while custodial parent is deployed
• Includes Redeploying and Redeployment
• Fiscal note: $0
• DSLO KEY ISSUES 2015

Veterans Preference

• Provides protection for private employers who establish a veterans preference hiring program
• Employer not held liable from lawsuits by protected classes (Age, national origin, etc.)
• Fiscal note: $0

Veterans Preference

• Adds "administrator" to list of exemptions from Veterans Preference laws
• Add definition of administrator which adds: assistant or associate school district superintendent, school principal, special education director, director of a multidistrict special education unit, career and technical education director, director of area career and technology center, athletic or activity director.
• Fiscal note: $0

Book of ND Veterans

• The Adjutant General shall initiate and coordinate the writing, publishing, and distribution of a record of all North Dakota Veterans, including a record of all North Dakotans killed in action and missing in action since statehood. The Adjutant General shall determine the projected costs for the completion of the writing, publishing, and distribution of the records and present those projections to the legislative management.
• Appropriations: $0
• Fiscal note: $0

Hunting License for 100% Disabled

• Added: Definition of a "Disabled Veteran"
• Added: For a resident disabled veteran combined general game, habitat stamp, small game, and fur-bearer license $3
• Fiscal note: $10,080. Not general fund dollars.
• NDCC: 20.1-01-02 (15)    20.1-03-12 (54)

Property Tax Exemption while on Active Duty

• Reduce taxable valuation of homestead for each day on Federal active duty divided by total number of days in a year (365). Full year would equal 100% reduction.
• On first $4,500 of taxable value of homestead.
• Spouses living together may only apply for 1 exemption
• Service members living together and not married can apply for full exemption based on the percentage of ownership in the homestead.
• Fiscal note: No amount provided.

Caskets for Veterans

Origination of Bill: Senator Marcellais, Richard

• Provide military casket at no cost to veterans interred in ND
• Type of casket to be approved by Adjutant General
• Appropriations: $2,800,000

Bill re-introduced in 2015 SB 2238

Indian Veteran Representative

• ND Department of Veterans Affairs to provide an Indian Veteran representative in the ND county with the most registered Indian Veterans
• Appropriations: $25,000

Property Tax Exemption

• Change disabled veterans homestead taxable valuation limit from $5,400 to $6,750
• Fiscal note: $477,000

PTSD Service Dogs

Origination of bill: Senator Sorvaag, Ronald

• Provide $50,000 to ND Department of Veterans Affairs for training service dogs to assist ND Veterans with PTSD
• Payment made by NDDVA only after completion of service dog's training
• Payment may not exceed $12,500 per service dog
• Legislative management shall consider studying statutory changes to benefit ND veterans; state income taxes, property taxes, veteran-focused incentives, assistance obtaining benefits, assistance obtaining life enhancing services, and current state and federal benefits available to ND veterans.
• NDDVA shall provide a report to legislative management during interim: status of service dog training program, benefits to veterans, number applicants, and number of service dogs provided.
• Appropriations: $50,000

Veterans' Home Budget

Origination of bill: NDDVA, Veterans' Home

Appropriations for ND DVA and Veterans Home Budgets.

Adds one time funding for discharge project and website for NDDVA.

• Creates and enacts a new section to NDCC 37-15 by creating a Melvin Norgard Memorial Fund which all monies donated to home will be deposited in this fund, the Governing board of the Veterans Home will recommend projects and programs to be funded by this fund and appropriations shall consider the recommendations.
• Adds studies to determine the options for the old Veterans Home and to study the delivery of services to Veterans. (These studies were not selected by the Legislative Management Committee to move forward during the interim.)
• Used mineral rights donated monies to fund
  • Re-grading of Oxbow, sprinkler system, and landscaping: $126,500
  • Move gazebo: $75,000
  • Architect fees - shop: $10,000

Property Tax

Origination of Bill: Tax Commissioner

Changes Property Tax exemption for Disabled Veterans from the first "One hundred twenty thousand dollars of true and full value" to "Five thousand four hundred dollars of taxable value". This calculates out to the same amount of tax savings. The change keeps the assessed value of the property the same for reporting and statistical purposes.

Honor and Remember Flag

The official state honor and remember flag is the national honor and remember flag for fallen members of the armed forces. The governor by proclamation may require the display of the state honor and remember flag on state property at certain times and places to honor and remember the lives of all members of the United States armed forces who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Women Veterans Month

Origination: NDDVA, Rep. Grande

March of each year is Women Veterans' Month. Each year the governor shall issue a proclamation on March first in honor and remembrance of surviving and departed women veterans who have served honorably and with courage on behalf of the United States of America since the American Revolutionary War.

Remember Veterans Number Plates

Origination: Sen. Delmore

Creating a "Veterans Remembered License Plate". Proceeds going to Veterans Cemetery. (The plates may be issued as non-profit plates in the future)

Veterans Affairs Stand Down Event Appropriation

Origination: NDDVA, Representative Grande

Provide $20,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist in holding Stand Down events in communities around North Dakota. Provides maximum of $5,000 per event - must have matching funds.

Military Retired Pay Tax Exemption

Origination: NDDVA, ACOVA

Reduced by the amount received by the taxpayer as retired military personnel pay for service in the United States army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps, or reserve components of the United States army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps, to the extent that retired military personnel pay is included in North Dakota taxable income of the tax payer.

Veterans Indicator on Drivers License

Upon request and with adequate documentation, the director shall place an indicator on the face of an operator's license of a veteran. The veteran may make the request through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• To have this on a license you must bring DD214 to CVSO for verification and form.

Disabled Veteran Benefits and Tax Treatment

Origination: NDDVA, ACOVA

Adds: Individual unemployability as qualifying as 100% or Total Disabled to benefits for property tax exemption (effective for tax years after Dec. 31, 2010), free tuition, vehicle plates, and vehicle excise tax

Adds: un-remarried surviving spouse in receipt of DIC will receive 100% of the property tax exemption and continue veterans vehicle excise tax exemption after death.

Child of Military Family - Educational Transfer

If the child of a military family transfers into this state, the superintendent of the receiving school district, whenever discretion or judgment is possible, shall apply the provisions of title 15.1 and any rules adopted to implement title 15.1 in a manner that is the least restrictive and the most conductive to facilitating the student's educational advancement, as well as the student's participation in all extracurricular academic, athletic, and social activities.