Senate Bill No. 2020 Summary

• Appropriates $459,415,420 in total funds to the state water commission for the 2011-13 biennium, including $448,413,774 for water and atmospheric resources and $7,271,773 in federal stimulus funds.

• Allocates $30,000,000 for Fargo flood control projects for land purchases, construction, and right-of-way acquisition costs (capped at 10 percent for engineering, legal, and planning purposes).

• Requires permitholders to purchase and maintain remote metering devices for water permits sold for oil and gas purposes by July 1, 2012, with a reimbursement program providing up to $5,000 per metering device.

• Enables conversion of existing joint powers entities to commerce authorities to achieve political subdivision status, allowing such authorities to refinance existing obligations without standard bond issuance requirements.

• Grants $250,000 each to wildlife services for animal control and to flood-related water projects in Nelson County water resource district.