North Dakota funds courts and permits fees on card payments

The law provides about $152.9 million for the judicial branch. The money supports the Supreme Court, district courts, the guardianship and conservatorship office, and the judicial conduct commission and disciplinary board. The total covers the appropriations listed in section 1. The law also sets aside $355,000 for an attorney position transferred to the guardianship and conservatorship office under Senate Bill 2029. The Supreme Court may move money from its new and vacant position pool to specified salary and office budgets for new hires or lower-than-expected salary savings, and must report on its use. The section 1 funding covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.

The judicial branch may add a fee to credit or debit card payments. This applies to payments made to the judicial branch by credit or debit card. The fee must be reasonable and cannot exceed the discount charged by the card issuer. The state court administrator decides which nationally recognized cards the judicial branch accepts.

The budget director must transfer $200,000 to the court facilities improvement and maintenance fund. The transfer is for the court facilities improvement and maintenance fund. The money comes from the strategic investment and improvements fund. The transfer must occur during the July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, budget period.

The Office of Management and Budget must move appropriation authority between the judicial branch’s budget lines when the Supreme Court requests it and finds the move is needed to carry out the branch’s work. This applies to appropriation lines in section 1. The request must come from the Supreme Court, which must find that the court’s or staff’s duties require the transfer.