2025 69th Legislative Assembly Veteran & Military Bills That PASSED and FAILED

APPRECIATION/PATRIOTIC

  • Hunting & Fishing: Amend disabled veteran $3 license fee eligibility from 100% disabled veteran to 50% or higher for
    • Resident fishing license
    • Combined general game, habitat stamp, small game, and fur-bearer license. (HB1147)
  • May as Military Appreciation Month: Established May of each year. Governor to issue a proclamation each year. (HB 1148)
  • POW/MIA Day: Amend to ensure Governor issues a proclamation that the third Friday in September of each year is Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Day. (HB1403)
  • HUNTING AND FISHING:
    • Exempt from Lottery: 100% disabled Veteran. (SB2199) FAILED HOUSE
  • 701 Heroes Day: Establish each July 1 as “701 Heroes Day. Withdrawn by sponsor.

BURIAL AND MEMORIAL

  • Veteran Memorial Bridges
    • SPC Richard W. Orsund Vietnam Bridge located on HWY 18 in Walsh County. (HB1090)
    • SPC David LaTraille Vietnam Bridge located on HWY 81 in Grafton. (HB1091)
    • S/Sgt Miles Shelley WWII Overpass located on HWY 52 Carrington. (HB1092)
    • SPC Jon P. Fettig Iraq Bridge located on HWY 22 in Dickinson. (HB1140)
    • SPC Dennis “DJ” Ferderer Jr. Iraq Bridge located on HWY 31 near New Salem. (HB1178)
    • LCDR Carl J. Woods Vietnam Bridge located on HWY 5 Bottineau. (HB1228)
    • CPL Raymond Porter Korea Bridge located HWY 6 Morton County. (HB1426)
  • PFC Henry Gurke memorial Highway: Highway 18 from Highway 5 to Canadian border (HB1212)
    • WWII Medal of Honor recipient. US Marine Corps.
  • USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754) Lost 74 Proclamation: To add names of the 74 sailors lost on 3 June 1969 to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. (HCR3005)
  • Burial Medallion/Grave Marker: For National Guard and Reserve not otherwise eligible for federal medallion. No funding included. (HB 1293)
  • Fargo National Cemetery Building: $3,000,000 grant for construction of building. (SB2265)
  • State Veterans Cemetery: Increase state funding by $62,469 to $1,463,616. (HB 1016)
  • Military Gallery at Heritage Center, Bismarck: Authority to accept and expend $39,094,524 in donated funds. Authority to request $20,000,000 line of credit at bank of ND. (HB 1018)
  • Marvin Briss Vietnam Bridge: Glenfield-Sutton. Not introduced/withdrawn by Sponsor.
  • Committee to name bridges for the fallen. To create committee. (HB1190) Withdrawn by sponsor.
  • Remove fee for Veteran License Plates. (SB2344) FAILED

EDUCATION

  • Dependent tuition waiver. Add veteran and use disability rating same as property tax credit. Not introduced/withdrawn by sponsor.
  • Armed Forces Reserve Scholarship. (SB2170) FAILED

EMPLOYMENT/ENTREPRENEUR

  • Veteran Owned business WSI Credit: $250 premium credit for first year employment 51% owned by veteran, Armed Forces, and current NDNG owned business. (SB 2046)

FINANCIAL

  • Disabled Veteran Property Tax Credit: for taxable year 2025 raised from $8,100 ($180,000 F&T) to $9,000 Taxable Value ($200,000 F&T). (HB1176)
  • Veteran organizations 501c19 eligible for special allocation hunting license: Organizations/posts can apply to lottery/raffle to receive hunting licenses available. License may be used as a fund raiser for the organizations. Elk, Moose, white tailed deer and antelope licenses as available. (HB1094)
  • Veteran organizations use gaming for club expenses: May use up to 20 percent of net proceeds per quarter for cost of food, beverages, and operating expenses for the veteran organization’s club. (SB2288)
  • Post War Trust Fund:
    • $500,000 in state general funds added to the principal of the Veterans PWTF. (SB2025)
    • Veteran Service Organizations may donate funds to PWTF to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness. (HB1504)
  • Veteran Aid Loan: Raised loan limit allowed, per ACOVA discretion, from $5,000 to $8,000. (HB1135)
  • Property tax credit for veterans:
    • Base the credit on median ND home values. Withdrawn by sponsor.
    • Remove or raise credit limit. (HB1266). FAILED. Added to HB1176 which passed.
    • Remove Homestead and Disabled Veterans Credit. (HB1390) FAILED
    • Remove Disabled Veteran Homestead credit. (SB2298) FAILED
  • Vehicle registration waiver: No fee for veterans, military or NG members. Withdrawn by sponsor.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

  • Suicide Prevention-Not Veteran Specific: $500,000 in state funds for the 988 crisis hotline (SB2200)
    • Insulin copay limit: Not Veteran Specific: Diabetic Drugs (Insulin) and Supplies copay limit to $25 per month. (HB1114)
  • Transportation to VAMC
    • Funding to NDDVA for purchase of 1 DAV Van during 2025-2027 biennium. (SB 2025)
  • HBOT: Encourage congress to provide veterans with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment for TBI, PTSD etc. (HCR3011)

HOUSING

  • Veteran Homelessness Prevention and Elimination:
    • $500,000 appropriated to ND Veterans Affairs to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness in ND. (SB2025)
    • Veteran Service Organizations may donate funds to PWTF to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness. (HB1504)
  • Veterans Home: Spending authority from other funds and Melvin Norgard fund: $390,000 for Building maintenance, $175,000 for resident garages and storage unit construction, and $22,050 for misc. equipment. (SB 2007)

LAW AND POLICY CHANGE

  • NDDVA commissioner to serve at the pleasure of Governor: Moved from ACOVA to Governor. (SB2025)
  • Veterans Home Administrator appointed by Governor: Moved from Governing Board to Governor. (SB2025)
  • Definition of a Veteran: Updated definition in ND Code verbiage to “Uniformed Services” which is in line with federal definition. (SB2198)
  • Individual Unemployability definition: Update language in ND Century Code to match Federal VA for dependent tuition waiver, property tax credit, vehicle registration and excise tax. (HB1180)

LEGAL SERVICES

  • Veterans treatment docket: May remove conviction and suspension from driving record. (HB1364)

NATIONAL GUARD AND MILITARY SPECIFIC

  • NATIONAL GUARD:
    • Death benefit: increased from $15,000 to $100,000. (HB1076)
    • Definition of NG Security officer and firefighter. Housekeeping. (HB1077)
    • Medical expenses on State Active Duty: Expanded to include follow up care after release from state active duty. (HB1078)
    • NDNG may obtain training ground near Jamestown. (HB1520)
    • Urge congress to recognize service in Honduras as service in area of hostility (HCR3007)
    • State and Political Subdivision Employee leave for NG and Reserve service. Updated and eliminated need for 90 days employment prior to military leave. (SB2198)
    • NDNG one time funding (HB1016)
      • Camp Grafton Regional Training Institute improvements: $34 Million (Other Funds).
      • Critical infrastructure $4.5 Million (other and state matching)
      • Williston readiness center designing: $2.5 Million (other funds)
      • Civil Air Patrol radio upgrade $206,426 (other funds)
      • Line of communication bridge training site $3.674 Million (other funds)
      • Dickinson readiness center $5.8 Million (other funds)
      • Camp Grafton fitness facility $2 Million (other funds)
      • Camp Grafton South Expansion of 6 thousand acres.
    • National Guard deployed only by Congressional Declaration of War. (HB1315) FAILED
    • Military compact: Physician assistant. (SB2108) FAILED
  • Military:
    • Military Compact:
      • Cosmetology: Provide military Spouse Provisional Licensure. (HB1126)
      • Occupational Therapy: Provide military spouse provisional licensure. (SB2146)
      • Dietitian: Provide military spouse provisional licensure. (SB2223)
    • Military Child Abuse reporting: Require local entities to report to military installation (HB1338)
    • School construction on an Air Force Base. Allow loan up to $20 Million. (SB2149)
    • Create military compatibility commission. Establish military impact zones. (SB2398)
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