North DakotaNorth Dakota directs transportation money to highways and local projects
The law directs transportation money to state highways and local infrastructure, and sends part of legacy fund earnings to debt payments and property tax relief.
What it does
The flexible transportation fund can pay for state highway work and other eligible infrastructure. At least a quarter of motor vehicle excise tax money deposited in the fund goes to certain county and township road projects.
Money from the legacy fund first pays certain infrastructure debt costs. Of what remains, 30 percent goes to highways and the rest goes to property tax relief.
When bidding begins for the last U.S. Highway 85 segment between Interstate 94 and Highway 200, the transportation department must study four-laning the remaining Theodore Roosevelt Expressway sections and report on the work.
Argument forDirecting money to local roads and bridges, with priority for projects that match other funding, could help communities repair key routes.
Argument againstTying some local road grants to tax rates and fund balances could leave communities that cannot meet those rules with fewer ways to pay for needed work.
More detail
The transportation director administers the flexible transportation fund and uses it for eligible road, bridge, and other infrastructure projects. The fund may support state highway work and transportation costs, as well as road, bridge, and other infrastructure projects elsewhere in North Dakota. The county and township allocation is for non-oil-producing counties. Projects using more than $10 million need budget section approval, unless they match federal or private funds and the state share is no more than half of total project costs. At least 25 percent of motor vehicle excise tax collections deposited in the fund is allocated to non-oil-producing county and township road and bridge projects. Organized townships must maintain roads and levy at least 18 mills for general purposes to receive funding. The department must allocate the required share of motor vehicle excise tax collections deposited in the fund; the bill gives no separate start date for these fund rules.
The state treasurer distributes money from the legacy earnings fund to debt payments, the highway fund, and the legacy property tax relief fund. These allocations use money distributed from the legacy fund into the legacy earnings fund. The first allocation is the lesser of $102.624 million or the amount appropriated for debt service payments for that biennium. After that allocation, 30 percent goes to the highway fund and the rest goes to the legacy property tax relief fund. The state treasurer makes the distribution in July of each odd-numbered year.
The transportation department prepares an environmental impact statement and reports on its cost and progress. The duty applies to the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the specified remaining portions of the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway. The statement covers remaining sections without four lanes from the South Dakota border to Interstate 94 and from Williston to the Montana border. The duty starts when bidding begins for construction of that last U.S. Highway 85 segment.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Jun 11Filed with Secretary Of State 05/13Latest
- May 17Signed by Governor Kelly Armstrong 05/12Became Law
- May 3
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2012. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2012. Result: pass.Upper
- May 2Sent to GovernorTo Governor
- May 2Signed by President
- May 2Signed by Speaker
- May 2Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 86 nays 2Major
- May 2Conference committee report adopted
- May 2Reported back from conference committee, in place of, placed on calendarMinor
- May 2Second reading, passed, yeas 46 nays 0Major
- May 2Conference committee report adopted
- May 2Reported back from conference committee, in place of, placed on calendarMinor
- Apr 25Conference committee appointed Brandenburg Bosch Weisz
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2012. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 25Conference committee appointed Wanzek Dwyer Erbele
- Apr 25Refused to concur
- Apr 25Returned to Senate (12)
- Apr 25Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 61 nays 31Passed House
- Apr 25Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Apr 25Division B adopted
- Apr 25Division A adopted
- Apr 25Division of amendment
- Apr 24Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 22 0 1Minor
- Mar 25Committee Hearing 08:30
- Mar 18Committee Hearing 02:30
- Mar 10Committee Hearing 02:30
- Mar 10Committee Hearing 08:30
- Mar 7Introduced, first reading, referred Appropriations CommitteeMinor
- Feb 25Received from Senate
- Feb 24Second reading, passed, yeas 47 nays 0Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Motion for Final Passage on SB 2012. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 24Amendment adopted, placed on calendar
- Feb 21Reported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 16 0 0Minor
- Jan 14Committee Hearing 02:00
- Jan 7Introduced, first reading, referred Appropriations CommitteeIntroduced
TransportationTaxes & Budget