May 12 Emergency Commission Special Meeting Summary

Official Minutes

Emergency Committee Members: Chair Governor Burgum, Secretary of State Al Jaeger, Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, House Majority Leader Chet Pollert, Senate Appropriations Chair Ray Holmberg, House Chair or Appropriations Jeff Delzer
Speakers: Governor Burgum, Joe Morrissette – Director of Office of Management and Budget, Kim Konikow – Executive Director of Council on the Arts, Brenda Weisz – Department of Health, Cody Schultz – Department of Emergency Services, Chris Jones – Director of Department of Human Services, Dave Krabbenhoft – Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Al Jaeger – Secretary of State, Lynn Helms – Director of Department of Mineral Resources, Eric Hardmeyer – President of Bank of North Dakota, Agriculture Commissioner Goering, Bryan Klipfel – Director of Job Service North Dakota

Focus: Allocations of CARES Act Federal Funds and Coronavirus Relief Funds

Agenda items:

• Office of the Attorney General request # 1965 – approved as submitted
  • PPE and overtime for the AG’s office and local jurisdictions for COVID-19 response
• Office of the Attorney General request # 1969 – approved as submitted
  • Anti-methamphetamine program
• Council of the Arts request # 1971 – approved as submitted 
  • Grants for financial relief due to COVID-19 for arts and cultural non-profits
• Department of Health request # 1972 – Approved as submitted
  • Support costs associated with HIV programs
• Department of Health request # 1973 – Approved as submitted
  • Hospital preparedness program in response to COVID-19
• Department of Health request # 1974 – Approved as submitted
  • Family violence prevention
• Department of Health request # 1975 – Approved as submitted
  • CDC funding – contract tracing and associated supplies.
• Department of Health request # 1976 – Approved as submitted
  • Reallocate spending authority
• Office of the Adjutant General – Department of Emergency Services request # 1977 – approved as submitted
  • Increase in federal spending authority for Emergency Management expenses
• Department of Human Services request # 1978 – approved as submitted
  • Ability to receive an insurance payment on a damaged Fire Truck
• Department of Human Services request # 1979 – approved as submitted
  • Additional federal funds to combat substance abuse, SNAP benefits and other support services
• Department of Human Services request # 1980 – approved as submitted
  • Emergency rent bridge program and a FEMA pass through for the Great Plains Food Bank
• Secretary of State request # 1981 – approved as submitted o Election Assistance Commission for costs associated with the 2020 elections
• Office of Management and Budget - Coronavirus Relief Fund from the CARES ACT - request # 1982 Approved with Dept. Commerce removed 
  • Department of Health – COVID-19 services provided by the State and local public health units.
  • Department of Human Services – Child Care Emergency Grants, Emergency Rent Bridge Program and additional assistance for vulnerable populations
  • Veterans Home – Additional support
  • Department of Corrections – Offset additional costs to the state and political subdivisions
  • Information Technology – Telework capabilities for public employees
  • Department of Trust Lands – Online auction and mineral rights analysis due to COVID-19
  • Job Service – Unemployment Insurance Fund solvency
  • ND Industrial Commission – Oil and Gas sector job protection and well plugging/reclamation program.
  • Department of Commerce - withdrawn
  • Bank of North Dakota - $200 million for the COVID-19 Pace Recovery Program (CPR)
  • Department of Agriculture – Meat Processor Cost Share Program to increase production during COVID
• Department of Commerce request # 1983 – approved as submitted
• Retirement and Investment Office request # 1970 – Executive session

• This Emergency Commission request is for $524,183,609 or 42% of the $1.25 billion North Dakota is receiving from the CARES Act 
  • 48% economic support for business
  • 22% economic support for individuals
  • 17% public health and safety
  • 13% telework, cybersecurity and digital services
• The legislature will get a full report from OMB and agencies on how CARES Act funds were spent
• CARES Act funds must be spent between March 1, 2020 thru December 30, 2020
• No positives COVID-19 tests among residents within the ND correctional facilities
• 80% of testing done in North Dakota has been completed by the state lab
• Approved items will be forwarded to the Legislative Budget Section committee for a vote on Friday, May 15th