News Releases for April 2005
April 27, 2005
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Hoeven Signs Centers Of Excellence, Black Box Bill In Grand Forks
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today, along with Sen. Ray Holmberg, held a news conference and ceremonial bill signing of Senate Bills 2018 and 2200 at the Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center in Grand Forks. SB2018 is funding legislation in support of the Governor’s Centers of Excellence initiative and SB2200 is the automotive “Black Box” Bill sponsored by Sen. Holmberg.
Joining Hoeven, in addition to Holmberg, were President Charles Kupchella, Sens. Nicholas Hacker, Tom Trenbeath, and Connie Tripplet, and Reps. Mark Owens and Lois Delmore.
In SB2018, the Legislature committed $50 million with $20 million on the front end for the Governor’s Centers of Excellence initiative on the state’s college campuses to expand the economy and create higher paying jobs and more opportunities for North Dakota citizens, especially the youth.
The plan combines education and economic development to create higher paying jobs for North Dakota citizens. When leveraged with federal and private funding, the amount available could be as much as $150 million. Centers of Excellence make the North Dakota University System and all of our campuses dynamic partners in building the economy of our state.
“The University of North Dakota is already moving forward with businesses centered around its aerospace program, the Center for Innovation, UND Medical School and the EERC,” Hoeven said. “This new Centers of Excellence appropriation will help to accelerate the process.”
The Black Box bill, 2200, passed by the North Dakota Legislature, clarifies that information collected by vehicles equipped with Event Data Recorders belongs to the owner of the vehicle. On-board data recorders are increasingly common in newer vehicles, and record pre-crash information such as: vehicle speed, engine speed, percent throttle, seat belt usage and the application of brakes.
“As technology advances so do the risks of intrusion into personal privacy,” Hoeven said. “This bill informs our consumers and puts in their hands the choice of who they want to share their private information with.”
Holmberg, who was the bill’s prime sponsor, modeled his legislation after a California law passed in 2003.
“These devices amount to “spyware” for our cars,” Holmberg said. “We need to ensure that this technology is used for legitimate purposes such as improving safety, and not as a way for “big brother” to watch over us.”
The bill requires automobile dealers to disclose the presence of a recording device, provides that the information stored in the recording device is property of the vehicle owner and forbids insurance companies from requiring disclosure of recorded driving habits as a condition of insurability. Information could only be accessed by consent of the owner or through a court order. Subscription services, such as OnStar, must also disclose what information may be recorded and transmitted in their terms and conditions of service.
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