A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT directing the department of transportation to develop a program whereby an individual may apply for the erection of a roadside memorial honoring an immediate family member of the individual who was killed in service of the armed forces of the united states.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Definitions. – 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 individual's name, date of birth, date of death, and an identification of the branch of the Armed Forces of the United States in which the individual served. The sign shall be on a pole, the height of which shall be determined by the Department.
SECTION 2.  Development of Program. – The Department of Transportation shall develop 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 was a service member of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and was killed in the line of duty. The program shall include both of the following:
(1)	The charging of a fee for each memorial. The Department shall establish a fee at an amount sufficient to cover any costs incurred by the Department from processing the application, acquiring the materials, and installing the memorial.
(2)	A prohibition on erecting or allowing the erecting of a memorial on a roadside abutting a private residential property without first receiving written consent from the owner of the private residential property.
SECTION 3.  Report. – By September 1, 2017, the Department of Transportation shall provide an interim report to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee on the progress made by the Department in developing the program required by Section 1 of this act. By January 1, 2018, the Department shall provide a final report to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee on the specific details of the program developed in accordance with Section 1 of this act, including any recommendations as to implementation of the program.
SECTION 4.  Effective Date. – Sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective December 1, 2017. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.