Relating to the creation of the city, county, and township road fund; to amend and reenact subsection 1 of section 39‑04‑19.2, section 54‑27‑19, subsection 1 of section 57‑43.1‑02, and subsection 1 of section 57‑43.2‑02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle road use fee, the tax imposed on motor vehicle and special fuels, and the highway tax distribution fund; and to provide an effective date.
HB 1614 would have required North Dakota's Department of Transportation to study autonomous and semiautonomous vehicle technologies, particularly focusing on automated truck tractors, and submit a legislative report on findings. The bill also amended state law to define "automated truck tractor" as a vehicle with safety-critical functions operating without direct human input. This study was intended to assess how such technologies might impact transportation infrastructure and safety regulations. The bill was introduced in March 2025 but failed to pass, receiving only two votes in favor during its House vote.
This North Dakota concurrent resolution urges the federal government, Congress, and the North Dakota Governor to end the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, which provides contracting preferences for certain businesses. It cites the program's alleged cost burdens on contractors and references a court case (Mid-America Milling Co. v. USDOT) finding its race-based criteria potentially unconstitutional. The resolution specifically directs North Dakota's Department of Transportation to terminate its DBE program and supports legal efforts to eliminate the program. As a symbolic resolution, it expresses legislative position but does not change current law.
HB 1037 allocates $750,000 to each of five state departments (agriculture commissioner, attorney general, transportation department, health and human services, and career and technical education) for grants to support autonomous technology use. It provides funding for agriculture businesses to inspect property with drones, law enforcement for missing persons searches and crime scenes, and transportation entities to monitor highways using uncrewed aircraft systems. Recipients must match state funds at a 1:4 ratio and report grant usage to the legislature. The funds are one-time, covering the 2025-2027 biennium, with each department required to submit reports detailing grant recipients and expenditures.
HB 1182 allocates $611,000 from North Dakota's Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund to Dickey County for a specific road project. The funding would replace a culvert system and raise the road grade to address recurring flooding on a local road. This one-time appropriation is intended for the 2025-2027 biennium and directly supports Dickey County's infrastructure needs. The bill does not create new regulations but provides targeted financial support for a flood mitigation project.
HB 1202 would allocate $3 million from North Dakota's flexible transportation fund to a specific county impacted by a state supreme court case involving a drainage project. The grant, intended for a single two-year period (2025-2027), covers project costs including litigation expenses, inflation adjustments, and other drainage-related expenditures. It overrides standard fund designation rules under section 24-02-37.3, directing the Department of Transportation to distribute the funds as a one-time grant. The bill failed to pass in committee and on the floor during the 2025 legislative session.
HB 1054 proposed creating a new section in North Dakota law (24-01-12.4) to establish rules for private companies sponsoring highway-related services (like maintenance or signage) within state highway right-of-way areas. It would directly affect private contractors and businesses seeking to fund such services in exchange for naming rights or other agreements. The bill aimed to provide a clear legal framework for these sponsorship agreements but failed to pass in the legislature on January 14, 2025, with only 3 votes in favor out of 93 total. The bill was referred to the Transportation Committee but was ultimately rejected.
