House Bill 16-12 would establish the North Dakota Center for Aerospace Medicine (NDCAM) at the University of North Dakota, backed by a one-time appropriation of $500,000 to set up operations and partnerships.

Proponents told the Senate Appropriations Human Resources Committee the center would be housed at UND’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences in coordination with the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences and would leverage existing UND family medicine and rural health facilities across the state. Representative Landon Veil, the bill sponsor, said the center is intended to look and “feel like the North Dakota Center for Rural Health” and that subject-matter experts prepared a conservative fiscal plan for the one-time startup appropriation.

“Think of the NDCAM to have a very similar feel, look and feel to the Center for Rural Health,” Representative Veil said. He added the bill’s backers expect the center to pursue federal grants and fee-for-service revenue to become self-sustaining.

Peter Johnson of the University of North Dakota told the committee the FAA is engaged and that UND already hosts related aviation medical services for students. “The intent is for this to become a stand-alone entity, self funded,” Johnson said, and that existing UND facilities in locations such as Minot and Bismarck would be used rather than creating a large new campus footprint.

Senators asked about physical capacity at UND’s medical school and how much new space would be required. Veil and Johnson said most personnel would remain housed in existing family medicine and rural health sites and that the startup appropriation is intended primarily to organize statewide coordination and FAA partnership rather than to fund new permanent facilities.

Supporters also said the center would help expand access to aviation medical examiners (AMEs) and strengthen UND’s ability to work directly with the Federal Aviation Administration. Committee members discussed amendments and noted testimony during the bill’s prior steps had been overwhelmingly supportive. The committee concluded consideration of HB 16-12 and moved to the next bill on the agenda.

The committee did not take a final vote on HB 16-12 during the recorded portion of the hearing.