The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.North Dakota House Bill 1624 funds free school meals and expands the primary residence property tax credit
Last action · January 23, 2026: Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 22 nays 24Sponsors: Mike Nathe and 11 others
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 1624 requires public school districts to provide free breakfast and lunch upon request, appropriates $65 million for school meals, and increases the maximum primary residence property tax credit to $2,050 starting July 1, 2026.
- The Legislative Assembly of North Dakota considers major state appropriations and policy bills during its legislative sessions. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Public school students
Enrolled students can receive one breakfast and one lunch each school day at no cost upon request.
Public school districts
Districts must provide free meals upon request, participate in child nutrition programs, and encourage families to apply for free or reduced-price meals to qualify for state reimbursement.
Taxpayers with primary residential property
Eligible property owners are entitled to an increased property tax credit of up to $2,050.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do students have to pay for school meals under this bill?
How much is the maximum primary residence property tax credit under the bill?
Where does the funding for the school meals fund come from?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Failed in the Senate.
Procedural history
11 actions- Jan 23, 2026SenateSecond reading, failed to pass, yeas 22 nays 24
- Jan 23, 2026SenateCommitteeAmendment failed
- Jan 23, 2026SenateCommitteeAmendment proposed on floor
- Jan 22, 2026SenateCommitteeEngrossment placed on calendar 8 7 1
- Jan 22, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced, first reading, referred Joint Appropriations Committee
- Jan 22, 2026SenateReceived from House
Show 5 earlier actions
- Jan 22, 2026HouseFloorSecond reading, passed, yeas 55 nays 38
- Jan 22, 2026HouseCommitteeAmendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Jan 21, 2026HouseCommitteeReported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 17 5 1
- Jan 21, 2026HouseCommitteeCommittee Hearing 12:30
- Jan 21, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, first reading, referred Joint Appropriations Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Inter-fund Transfers for Public Programs
The legislation relies on large transfers of $65 million from the strategic investment and improvements fund to both the school meals fund and the legacy property tax relief fund.
Connected Entities
Sources
ndlegis.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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