Bill > H3046

This bill establishes a public memorial program to raise awareness of driving fatalities and homicides and to allow families to remember victims. It defines a "memorial marker" as a marker on a public roadway commemorating individuals who died as a direct result of a crash caused by a driver or homicide, and a "qualified relative" as an immediate family member or domestic partner of the deceased. The bill allows a qualified relative to request the installation of a memorial marker in a "supporting jurisdiction" (the division of highways or a county, city, or town responsible for public memorials) for fatal crashes or homicides that occurred on or after January 1, 2013. Requests will be denied if any qualified relative opposes the marker, or if false information was provided. The markers will display the victim's name and the date of the fatal incident, and can memorialize multiple victims from the same event. Supporting jurisdictions will maintain the markers for at least one year and have the right to relocate them for safety or other reasons, and the division of highways must obtain consent from cities or towns before placing markers. Fees for the markers, covering fabrication, installation, and maintenance, may be paid by the program if funds are available, or charged to the qualified relative, but will not exceed the actual costs. The division of highways will also establish rules for implementing this program.