SGT KRISTOPHER J. GOULD MEM. BRIDGE                                                     H.B. 4475:

                                                                              SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL

                                                                                                         IN COMMITTEE

House Bill 4475 (as passed by the House)

Sponsor:  Representative Brian Elder

House Committee:  Transportation

                             Ways and Means

Senate Committee:  Transportation and Infrastructure

Date Completed:  9-9-20

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to designate the bridge on M-13 over Cheboyganing Creek in Bay County as the "Sergeant Kristopher J. Gould Memorial Bridge".

Proposed MCL 250.2090

BACKGROUND

Sergeant Kristopher J. Gould graduated from Valley Lutheran High School in 2004 and enlisted in the United States Army. Gould was first assigned to the 125^th Infantry Regiment in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. From 2008 to 2009, he was assigned to the 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, 1^st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke in Afghanistan and served in this second deployment for 12 months. For his third deployment, he was assigned to 2^nd Battalion, 2^nd Infantry Regiment, 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, 1^st Infantry Division of Fort Knox, Kentucky.

On February 27, 2011, Sergeant Gould died in the province of Ghazni, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He received a number of decorations, including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal for Mobilization, the Army Service Ribbon, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart.

                                                                            Legislative Analyst:  Tyler VanHuyse

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government. The Act specifies that the Department of Transportation may provide for the erection and maintenance of markers designating the name of a highway only when sufficient private funds are available to cover the costs of erecting and maintaining those markers. As such, private funds would cover the cost of the renaming, and no State funds would be used.

                                                                                 Fiscal Analyst:  Michael Siracuse

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.