A bill has been introduced in the state Senate to create a rainy day fund for the state health and human services departments.
The bill would take a portion of the oil extraction tax and put it in a fund, to be used if there is a budget allotment. It’s similar to the budget and K-12 stabilization funds.
It has bi-partisan support. The chairmen of the House and Senate Human Services Committees -- Rep. Robin Weisz (R-Hurdsfield) and Sen. Judy Lee (R-West Fargo) are co-sponsors.
"The basic purpose of the fund isto make sure that the most vulnerable citizens we have, like the elderly and those persons with disabilities, do not get cut in the services we provide," said Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo), also a co-sponsor.
Mathern said the fund would be capped at an amount equal to 15 percent of the agencies' budgets.