Bill > HB1037

This bill provides one-time funding of $750,000 each to five North Dakota state agencies to support grants for uncrewed aircraft systems (drones), autonomous vehicles, and other autonomous technologies in different sectors. The agriculture commissioner will fund grants for agricultural property and infrastructure inspection; the attorney general will support law enforcement activities like missing person searches and crime scene reconstruction; the department of transportation will fund monitoring of the U.S. Highway 2 corridor; the department of health and human services will aid rural emergency medical services and ambulance districts; and the department of career and technical education will support workforce training, including creating a drone racing course. Each agency must develop grant application processes, potentially requiring grant recipients to provide matching funds (one dollar for every four dollars awarded), and must report to the legislative management during the 2025-26 interim about grant recipients and usage. Additionally, the legislative management is tasked with conducting a study during the 2025-26 interim to analyze the economic impacts of autonomous technology infrastructure in the state, including examining which sectors currently use or could benefit from such technologies, and quantifying the return on investment from state funds dedicated to developing autonomous systems. The bill is designed to promote technological innovation and workforce development across multiple state sectors.

Budget and Finance

Legislative Management (Joint)

https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo1037.html