The roadside memorials you see beside highways in Colorado will become part of the state budget – if state Sen. Lew Entz has his way.

Entz, R-Hooper, has introduced a bill that would put up one of the memorials – which typically mark the spots where deadly accidents occurred – at the state’s expense. Currently, families of accident victims can request that the state put one up at relative’s expense, The Denver Post reported, but homemade cross-and-flower arrangements and other similar memorials are illegal.

The current Colorado signs cost $100. A similar program in Virginia, in which state-erected signs would have cost a family $250, failed last year in the General Assembly.

Families of accident victims and others were angered by the Virginia plan, which The Richmond Times-Dispatch said was developed without public input. Like Colorado, Virginia’s laws make it illegal for anyone to place memorials in the public right of way, but that rule has been routinely ignored.

Indiana also took a crack at homemade memorials last year with a bill introduced by state Rep. Duane Cheney. That measure, HB1110, would have also removed the roadside memorials put up by families of accident victims and replaced them with state-constructed signs. However, the Indiana House voted against the measure.

Under Entz’ bill, families would pay no more than $10 for a sign, but they would be required “to maintain the memorial in good condition.” Any signs that were not maintained, the state would take down.

The Colorado bill, SB79, is currently before the Senate Transportation Committee.