SPONSOR: Hewkin
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Transportation by a vote of 10 to 0, with 1 member voting present.
Currently, the governing body of a county, city, or village can designate a street, road, or highway as a memorial road for any law enforcement officer who was killed in the line of duty.
This bill allows for memorial roads to be named for emergency personnel and members of the Armed Forces in addition to law enforcement officers.
The bill also repeals several sections of law including:
(1) The requirement to maintain fingerboards at road forks and crossings;
(2) The requirement for certain people to lay down planks while crossing bridges to protect the roadway;
(3) The prohibition of any person from driving animals across a recently repaired roadway, bridge, or culvert that has not been open to traffic;
(4) A $1.00 fee for moving certain houses and structures; and
(5) The authorization for the road district commissioners or the board of directors of a township to temporarily abandon a road to allow for the mining or removal of coal from beneath the road.
This bill is similar to HB 1284 (2025).
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that the bill repeals many antiquated, unnecessary laws. It is good to repeal obsolete laws, and this could be a first step to a comprehensive look at the traffic codes and other regulations. The bill also allows local governments to honor worthy members of their community, even though the signs involved can be expensive.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Hewkin; and Arnie Dienoff.
OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee. Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: