This bill appropriates approximately $2.72 billion for the North Dakota Department of Transportation for the biennium from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027. It includes enhancements for salaries, operating expenses, and capital assets, along with one-time funding for various projects such as facility improvements and highway projects. A new section is established for the Big Sky North Coast Corridor program, allowing the director to collaborate with the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority for service development planning. The bill also amends several sections of the North Dakota Century Code, notably repealing the legacy earnings fund and introducing new allocations for the flexible transportation fund, which will support non-oil-producing areas.

Furthermore, the bill creates a "highway tax distribution fund" for highway purposes, detailing fund distribution to cities based on population and establishing a "legacy earnings fund" to receive distributions from the legacy fund. It also introduces a municipal infrastructure fund and a county and township infrastructure fund for grants aimed at essential infrastructure projects in non-oil-producing counties. The bill allocates the first $40 million in the fund for grants specifically for road and bridge projects in these counties and mandates reporting requirements for grant recipients. Additionally, it outlines eligibility criteria for townships and mandates the state treasurer to distribute grants based on road and bridge investment needs, with provisions for the construction of a four-lane highway on U.S. Highway 85 and cooperative agreements for rest area management.

Statutes affected:
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division Committee: 6-09.4-10.1, 21-10-06, 24-02-37.3, 49-17.1-05, 54-27-19.3, 57-40.3-10
FIRST ENGROSSMENT: 6-09.4-10.1, 21-10-06, 24-02-37.3, 49-17.1-05, 54-27-19.3, 57-40.3-10
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for House Appropriations Committee: 6-09.4-10.1, 21-10-06, 24-02-37.3, 24-02-40.1, 54-27-19, 57-40.3-10, 57-43.1-02, 57-43.2-02, 57-51.1-07.5
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Conference Committee: 6-09.4-10.1, 21-10-06, 24-02-37.3, 54-27-19, 57-40.3-10, 57-51.1-07.7, 57-51.1-07.8
Enrollment: 6-09.4-10.1, 21-10-06, 24-02-37.3, 54-27-19, 57-40.3-10, 57-51.1-07.7, 57-51.1-07.8