‘Party Fund’ Stripped From N.D. Workers’ Comp Budget Bill

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A proposed $53.3 million budget for North Dakota’s workers’ compensation agency no longer has a $50,000 party fund, lawmakers say.

House and Senate negotiators removed the fund from the Workforce Safety and Insurance agency’s two-year spending bill, said Sen. Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson. The fund had been set aside to provide money for employee incentives, gifts, parties and training.

House Republicans’ decision last week to include the fund in the WSI budget touched off intense public criticism. It was inserted in the spending plan because of a state audit’s highlighting of WSI spending on restaurant cards, balloons, flowers, bottled water and other items for its workers and others.

“We objected to that, and (House negotiators) backed off on that. So that is out of the bill,” Wardner said during a Senate speech about the legislation’s contents. “That is taken out. It’s completely wiped out.”

Senators approved the revised budget plan, 28-17. Now the legislation goes to the House for its review.

Workforce Safety and Insurance provides medical, rehabilitation and wage benefits for workers who are injured on the job. Businesses are required to buy insurance coverage for their employees from WSI.

The agency has considerable leeway in how it spends its budget. It is provided in a $53.3 million lump sum that takes up one line of its spending bill.

The legislation also includes a provision that allows WSI to use its own compensation system to award pay increases. In most state agency budgets, the Legislature provides enough money to award 4 percent annual pay raises for this year and next.

The bill is SB2021.