A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation to the department of transportation for a road project grant.
Summary
HB 1182 would appropriate $611,000 from North Dakota’s strategic investment and improvements fund to the Department of Transportation for a one-time road project grant to Dickey County. The money is intended to replace a culvert system and raise the grade of a road in order to address flooding problems on that roadway during the 2025-2027 biennium.
The bill is narrowly focused on a single local infrastructure project rather than a broad statewide program. It directs state funds to the Department of Transportation, which would then pass the money through as a grant to the county for the specified road and drainage improvements.
Impact
If enacted, HB 1182 would create a one-time appropriation from the strategic investment and improvements fund and authorize the Department of Transportation to distribute those funds to Dickey County for a specific flood-mitigation road project. It would not broadly amend transportation law, but it would affect state budgeting and the use of special funds by earmarking money for a local infrastructure grant and supporting county road and culvert repairs.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have had limited support in the House, failing on second reading by a vote of 6-87. With no committee transcript available, there is no recorded debate to show detailed arguments for or against the measure, but the vote suggests the chamber was largely unsupportive of the appropriation as presented.
Contention
The main point of contention was likely the use of state strategic investment and improvements fund dollars for a single county project, rather than a broader statewide need. Opponents may have viewed the proposal as too narrow or as an improper use of one-time state funding, while supporters likely emphasized the local flooding problem, infrastructure safety, and the need to replace the culvert system and raise the road grade in Dickey County.