A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 24-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the creation of the fallen military service members bridge committee; and to provide a continuing appropriation.
HB 1190 would create the “fallen military service members bridge committee” within North Dakota law and assign it the task of reviewing nominations to name bridges and overpasses in honor of military service members who died in service to the United States. The committee would establish a public application process, accept nominations from the public, and meet each October to select up to six nominations for consideration each year.
The bill also specifies how the naming process would work after a nomination is selected. The committee would coordinate with veterans groups and families of fallen service members to arrange signage, installation dates, and dedication ceremonies. The Department of Transportation would provide staffing and administrative support, and the committee would be made up of the DOT director, the adjutant general, and the commissioner of veterans’ affairs or their designees.
If enacted, the bill would add a new section to chapter 24-01 of the North Dakota Century Code and create a formal state process for honoring fallen military service members through bridge and overpass naming. It would also authorize the department to accept donated signs or funds and provide a continuing appropriation for those donations, allowing the state to use donated money on an ongoing basis for signage without needing separate appropriations each time.
The available record shows no committee transcript or vote data, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill’s subject matter, it appears to be a commemorative veterans’ measure intended to honor military service and likely to be viewed positively in principle, but the bill was ultimately withdrawn on January 14, 2025, before final enactment.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential issues that could arise from the bill’s structure include the administrative role of the Department of Transportation, the criteria for selecting up to six nominations annually, and the use of donated funds and signs for memorial signage. However, the record does not show any stated objections from legislators, agencies, veterans’ groups, or families.