Financial

Agent Orange

Origination: Representative Trottier, ACOVA, NDVCC

• $50,000 appropriation of general funds to ND Department of Veterans Affairs to provide grants for the identification and provision of services to ND Veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam conflict.
• Requires ND Department of Veterans Affairs to report to the budget section on the use and outcome of the grants awarded
• Appropriations: $50,000

Fishing License Fees

• Lowers disability level requirement from 100% to 50%
• Adds Unemployability
• Fee goes from $3 to $5
• Fiscal note: $1,425. Not general funds.

Disabled Veterans Rent Credit

Origination of bill: Representative Guggisberg, Ron

• Provided renters credit for 50% or higher disabled veterans who would qualify for property tax exemption, but rent.
• Fiscal note: $1,472,000

ND DVA Budget

• Veterans Affairs: Adds one FTE
• Veterans Affairs: $15,000 for website improvements
• Veterans Home funding: Demolish old veterans home $1,121,000
• Veterans Home Approved: Hold over Veterans Home construction funds into next biennium to complete all billings
• Veterans Home Approved: Carry over funding for Electronic Health record system into next biennium
• Veterans Home Approved: Authorization of Melvin Norgard funds for construction of a workshop $788,200
• Reduced Veterans Home operating budget by $50,000

ND National Guard UCMJ and License Plates

• Adds state active duty time to be subject to discipline as set forth in USMJ
• Changes to veteran definition dates for adjusted compensation (war bonus)
• Adds motorcycle plates available for NDNG license plates
• 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