North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Dakota House Bill HB1037 Compare Versions

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11 25.0401.02000
22 Sixty-ninth
33 Legislative Assembly
44 of North Dakota
55 Introduced by
66 Legislative Management
77 (Workforce Committee)
88 A BILL for an Act to provide an appropriation to the agriculture commissioner, the attorney
99 general, the department of career and technical education, the department of health and human
1010 services, and the department of transportation to increase the use of uncrewed aircraft systems,
1111 autonomous vehicles, or other autonomous technologies in the state; to provide for a legislative
1212 management study; and to provide for a legislative management report.
1313 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
1414 SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION - AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER - ONE-TIME
1515 FUNDING - REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT.
1616 1.There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not
1717 otherwise appropriated, the sum of $750,000, or so much of the sum as may be
1818 necessary, to the agriculture commissioner for the purpose of providing uncrewed
1919 aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous technology grants to
2020 individuals and entities in the agriculture industry, for the biennium beginning July 1,
2121 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The funding provided in this subsection is
2222 considered a one-time funding item.
2323 2.The agriculture commissioner shall develop an application process and guidelines for
2424 the grants, including eligibility criteria, maximum grant awards, and matching
2525 requirements. The agriculture commissioner may require an individual or entity to
2626 provide one dollar of matching funds for every four dollars awarded by the state. To be
2727 eligible for a grant, an individual or entity shall certify to the agriculture commissioner
2828 that the operation of the uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other
2929 autonomous technology is related to the inspection, operation, maintenance, or
3030 construction of agriculture property or infrastructure.
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3232 HOUSE BILL NO. 1037
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5656 23 Sixty-ninth
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5858 3.An individual or entity may use grant funding to contract for services related to
5959 uncrewed aircraft systems, autonomous vehicles, or other autonomous technologies;
6060 or for other eligible uses related to uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or
6161 other autonomous technology operations as determined by the agriculture
6262 commissioner.
6363 4.During the 2025-26 interim, the agriculture commissioner shall provide at least one
6464 report to the legislative management regarding the grants, including a list of grant
6565 recipients, the amounts awarded, and a description of the use of the grant funding.
6666 SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - ATTORNEY GENERAL - ONE TIME FUNDING -
6767 REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT.
6868 1.There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not
6969 otherwise appropriated, the sum of $750,000, or so much of the sum as may be
7070 necessary, to the attorney general for the purpose of providing uncrewed aircraft
7171 system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous technology grants to individuals
7272 and entities aiding the bureau of criminal investigation in conducting missing person
7373 searches, crime scene reconstruction, and law enforcement first response operations,
7474 for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The funding
7575 provided in this section is considered a one-time funding item.
7676 2.The attorney general shall develop an application process and guidelines for the
7777 grants, including eligibility criteria, maximum grant awards, and matching
7878 requirements. The attorney general may require an individual or entity to provide one
7979 dollar of matching funds for every four dollars awarded by the state. To be eligible for a
8080 grant, an individual or entity shall certify to the attorney general that the operation of
8181 the uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous technology is
8282 related to conducting missing person searches, crime scene reconstruction, and law
8383 enforcement first response operations.
8484 3.An individual or entity may use grant funding to contract for services related to
8585 uncrewed aircraft systems, autonomous vehicles, or other autonomous technologies;
8686 or for other eligible uses related to uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or
8787 other autonomous technology operations as determined by the attorney general.
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120120 4.During the 2025-26 interim, the attorney general shall provide a report to the
121121 legislative management regarding the grants, including a list of grant recipients, the
122122 amounts awarded, and a description of the use of the grant funding.
123123 SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - ONE-TIME
124124 FUNDING - REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT.
125125 1.There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not
126126 otherwise appropriated, the sum of $750,000, or so much of the sum as may be
127127 necessary, to the department of transportation for the purpose of providing uncrewed
128128 aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous technology grants to
129129 individuals and entities seeking to monitor the United States highway 2 corridor within
130130 the state to assist and aid local and state law enforcement agencies, for the biennium
131131 beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The funding provided in this
132132 section is considered a one-time funding item.
133133 2.The department of transportation shall develop an application process and guidelines
134134 for the grants, including eligibility criteria, maximum grant awards, and matching
135135 requirements. The department of transportation may require an individual or entity to
136136 provide one dollar of matching funds for every four dollars awarded by the state. To be
137137 eligible for a grant, an individual or entity shall certify to the department of
138138 transportation that the operation of the uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle,
139139 or other autonomous technology is related to monitoring the United States highway 2
140140 corridor within the state to assist local and state law enforcement agencies.
141141 3.An individual or entity may use grant funding to contract for services related to
142142 uncrewed aircraft systems, autonomous vehicles, or other autonomous technologies;
143143 or for other eligible uses related to uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or
144144 other autonomous technology operations as determined by the department of
145145 transportation.
146146 4.During the 2025-26 interim, the department of transportation shall provide a report to
147147 the legislative management regarding the grants, including a list of grant recipients,
148148 the amounts awarded, and a description of the use of the grant funding.
149149 SECTION 4. APPROPRIATION - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES -
150150 ONE-TIME FUNDING - REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT.
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184184 1.There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not
185185 otherwise appropriated, the sum of $750,000, or so much of the sum as may be
186186 necessary, to the department of health and human services for the purpose of
187187 providing uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous
188188 technology grants to individuals and entities seeking to aid the functions and
189189 operations of rural emergency medical services and rural ambulance service districts
190190 relating to emergency response and disaster mitigation, for the biennium beginning
191191 July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The funding provided in this section is
192192 considered a one-time funding item.
193193 2.The department of health and human services shall develop an application process
194194 and guidelines for the grants, including eligibility criteria, maximum grant awards, and
195195 matching requirements. The department of health and human services may require an
196196 individual or entity to provide one dollar of matching funds for every four dollars
197197 awarded by the state. To be eligible for a grant, an individual or entity shall certify to
198198 the department of health and human services that the operation of the uncrewed
199199 aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous technology is related to
200200 aiding the functions and operations of rural emergency medical services and rural
201201 ambulance service districts for emergency response and disaster mitigation.
202202 3.An individual or entity may use grant funding to contract for services related to
203203 uncrewed aircraft systems, autonomous vehicles, or other autonomous technologies;
204204 or for other eligible uses related to uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or
205205 other autonomous technology operations as determined by the department of health
206206 and human services.
207207 4.During the 2025-26 interim, the department of health and human services shall
208208 provide a report to the legislative management regarding the grants, including a list of
209209 grant recipients, the amounts awarded, and a description of the use of the grant
210210 funding.
211211 SECTION 5. APPROPRIATION - DEPARTMENT OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL
212212 EDUCATION - ONE-TIME FUNDING - REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT.
213213 1.There is appropriated out of any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not
214214 otherwise appropriated, the sum of $750,000, or so much of the sum as may be
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246246 31 Sixty-ninth
247247 Legislative Assembly
248248 necessary, to the department of career and technical education for the purpose of
249249 providing uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous
250250 technology grants to a workforce training center serving the northwest area of the
251251 state to assist in providing workforce training to minimize workforce shortages in the
252252 state, including the oil and gas industry, and to create and develop a drone racing
253253 course, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The
254254 funding provided in this subsection is considered a one-time funding item.
255255 2.The department of career and technical education shall develop an application
256256 process and guidelines for the grants, including eligibility criteria, maximum grant
257257 awards, and matching requirements. The department of career and technical
258258 education may require a workforce training center to provide one dollar of matching
259259 funds for every four dollars awarded by the state. To be eligible for a grant, a
260260 workforce training center shall certify to the department of career and technical
261261 education that the operation of the uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or
262262 other autonomous technology is related to providing workforce training to minimize
263263 workforce shortages in the state, including the oil and gas industry, and to create and
264264 develop a drone racing course.
265265 3.A workforce training center may use grant funding to contract for services related to
266266 uncrewed aircraft systems, autonomous vehicles, or other autonomous technologies;
267267 for educational or training curriculum expenses related to uncrewed aircraft systems,
268268 autonomous vehicles, or other autonomous technologies; or for other eligible uses
269269 related to uncrewed aircraft system, autonomous vehicle, or other autonomous
270270 technology operations as determined by the department of career and technical
271271 education.
272272 4.During the 2025-26 interim, the department of career and technical education shall
273273 provide at least one report to the legislative management regarding the grants,
274274 including a list of grant recipients, the amounts awarded, and a description of the use
275275 of the grant funding.
276276 SECTION 6. LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT STUDY - AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS.
277277 During the 2025-26 interim, the legislative management shall study the economic impacts
278278 and benefits of investing in autonomous technology infrastructure within the state. The study
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312312 must include an analysis of the sectors using autonomous systems and the sectors that could
313313 benefit from the use of autonomous systems. The study also must quantify the return on
314314 investment stemming from all funds appropriated by the legislative assembly for the purposes of
315315 developing and enhancing autonomous systems in the state. The legislative management shall
316316 report its findings and recommendations, together with any legislation required to implement the
317317 recommendations, to the seventieth legislative assembly.
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