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HB 1249

Tornado shelters; Tornado Shelters Act of 2025; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Judd Strom

HB 1249 would create one-time state grants for autonomous technology projects across several agencies, with reporting requirements and a study on activity for 2025–26 interim.

Second Reading referred to Rules
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Bill Summary · HB 1249

Summary — HB 1249 (2025) — Autonomous Technology Grants; Legislative Study and Report

Status: Introduced Jan. 27, 2025; second reading failed to pass (yeas 42, nays 50). Primary sponsor: Rep. Jared C. Hagert; multiple cosponsors. Companion: SB 960.

Main purpose

HB 1249 would appropriate one‑time state funds to several North Dakota agencies to create competitive grants for “autonomous technology” projects and require agencies to report on grant awards to the Legislative Management. It also directs a legislative management study and reporting on grant activity during the 2025–26 interim.

Key provisions

  • Definition: “Autonomous technology” includes uncrewed aircraft systems (drones), autonomous vehicles, and other autonomous systems, processes, or technologies.
  • Appropriations (Second Engrossment — latest appropriation figures in bill text):
    • Attorney General: $250,000 — grants to individuals/entities that aid the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in missing‑person searches, crime‑scene reconstruction, and first‑response operations.
    • Department of Career and Technical Education (DCTE): $500,000 — grants to a workforce training center serving the northwest area for workforce training (including oil/gas industry needs).
    • Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): $250,000 — grants to support rural emergency response and disaster mitigation.
    • Agriculture Commissioner: $500,000 — grants for individuals/entities in the agriculture industry (text indicates grants to support ag uses of autonomous tech).
  • Grant program design: each agency must develop an application process and guidelines (eligibility criteria, eligible uses, matching requirements, maximum awards). Agencies may require matching funds (commonly authorized at $1 match for every $4 awarded).
  • Eligible uses: purchasing/operating autonomous technology, contracting for related services, training/education (for DCTE), and other agency‑determined eligible costs.
  • Reporting: each agency must provide at least one report during the 2025–26 interim to Legislative Management listing recipients, award amounts, and descriptions of use.
  • Funding period: one‑time appropriations for the biennium July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027.

Who would be affected

  • Direct beneficiaries: law‑enforcement partners, regional workforce training centers, rural emergency responders, agricultural businesses and service providers that adopt or support autonomous technologies.
  • State agencies: administrative responsibility to design, award, monitor grants and produce interim reports.
  • Fiscal impact: one‑time General Fund expenditures as specified (bill language shows varying amounts across engrossments); administrative and oversight responsibilities for agencies.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • The grants are described as one‑time funding for the 2025–27 biennium.
  • Agencies must report to Legislative Management during the 2025–26 interim.
  • The bill passed several committee stages and had multiple engrossed versions with different appropriation amounts, but failed on second reading (42–50) and therefore did not advance into law.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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