A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT requiring the department of transportation to develop a program whereby individuals may apply for the erection of roadside memorials for immediate family members who have died in an automobile accident.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Program; Definitions. – By December 1, 2016, the Department of Transportation shall develop and implement a program whereby an individual may apply to the Department for the erection of a memorial on the roadside of a highway honoring an immediate family member of the individual who died as the result of injuries suffered from an automobile accident on the highway near that roadside. For purposes of this act, the following definitions apply:
(1)	Immediate family member. – The mother, father, brothers, sisters, spouse, domestic partner, cohabitant, children, stepparents, stepbrothers, stepsisters, and stepchildren of an individual.
(2)	Memorial. – A metal sign inscribed with the victim's name, date of birth, and date of death. The sign shall be on a pole, the height of which shall be determined by the Department.
SECTION 2.  Fee. – The Department shall charge a fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each memorial to cover costs associated with processing the application, acquiring materials, and installing the memorial. Any fees remaining after covering the costs specified in this section shall be transferred on a quarterly basis to The Humane Society of the United States to be used to cover costs associated with rescuing animals in North Carolina.
SECTION 3.  Report. – By September 1, 2016, the Department shall provide an interim report to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee on the progress made by the Department in developing and implementing the program required by Section 1 of this act. By January 1, 2017, the Department shall provide a final report to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee on the specific details of the program implemented in accordance with Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 4.  Effective Date. – This act is effective when it becomes law.