Transcript Highlights:

• THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE OPERATED ON ROADS AND HIGHWAYS ALLOWING OFF-ROAD VEHICLES TO OPERATE ON PUBLIC
• AS OPPOSED TO OFF-ROAD?
• EACH OTHER THINKING THAT CAR IS MUCH FURTHER UP THE ROAD AND IT IS SAFE TO PASS.
• ARE SAFER BUT THE DEFAULT WOULD BE THEY WOULD BE LEGAL ON THE ROAD.
• THIS DESIGNATE A PORTION OF INTERNATIONAL DRIVE IN ORLANDO BETWEEN STATE ROAD 528 AND SAND LAKE ROAD

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, we have a lot of roads. We have a lot of roads all over the state that need help.
• If it's not the deer trying to kill you, it's the roads, and so I agree that we need to make the roads
• If you do not have proper roads, you do not have adequate roads, this state fails.
• So the road is both historic throughout, but in some cases primitive, or it's unpaved and a rock road
• I don't know if there's other primitive roads in the state... ...particular road, and I don't know if

Summary: The committee heard several transportation-related appropriation and policy bills. SB 1273 would appropriate $14 million in FY2027 for pavement rehabilitation of Olga Frontage Road between Bowie and San Simon; after brief discussion about the road’s length and whether it was on a rural transportation priority list, the bill was reported out 3-2 with a do pass recommendation. SB 1452 would create a cargo theft task force in the Attorney General’s office, modeled on the retail theft task force, with reporting and investigative duties; Tony Bradley of the Arizona Trucking Association testified in support, describing cargo theft as a growing, sophisticated problem and noting the funding would come from the consumer fraud protection fund rather than the general fund. The committee adopted an amendment making the task force subject to appropriations and then passed the bill 5-0. The committee also considered SB 1332, which would require the Auditor General and an independent transportation research entity to study Maricopa County light rail expansion and compare it with other transit technologies. Senator Kavanaugh argued the study was needed before committing billions more to light rail and said the governor’s office was open to the concept. Supporters, including local business owners, said the study would provide needed transparency and reflect concerns about business impacts and changing transportation options. Opponents, including Valley Metro, the City of Phoenix, and transit advocates, argued the state should not second-guess locally approved transit plans and pointed to existing studies, ridership, and economic development along light rail corridors. The bill passed 4-3. SB 1059 appropriates $9.2 million for an additional right-turn lane at State Route 87 and State Route 260, and Senator Wendy Rogers used the hearing to describe several rural road projects she and Representative Blackman were pursuing, emphasizing safety, congestion, and local requests from mayors and councils. Members broadly supported the need for rural infrastructure, and the bill was reported out unanimously. The committee then took up SB 1209, which would exempt homeless individuals and others without a residence address from non-operating ID fees if they prove U.S. citizenship. Testimony from the Homeless ID Project and ADOT focused on how IDs help people obtain work and services, how citizenship and authorized presence are verified, and whether the amendment would create operational or fiscal issues; the discussion continued as the transcript ended, with no final vote shown for that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got to work on those local roads.
• So there's a difference there as far as local roads versus our roads and where they're programmed in
• It’s worse than any road.
• roads.
• If it’s not going to their roads, maybe we should find a bill where it has to go towards city roads and

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Allowing off-road vehicles to operate on public roads without these critical safety features sends mixed
• as opposed to off-road?
• But the default would be that they would be legal on the road.
• Some of them even only allow a UTV to go a max of 50 on a road.
• Lake Road in Orange County to be designated as Harris Rosen Way.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met with a quorum present and considered two bills. The first, CS for SB 88 by Senator Wright, would create a framework for local governments to allow or prohibit utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) on certain low-speed roads, define UTV equipment and driver requirements, and make violations noncriminal traffic infractions. An amendment was adopted to correct the insurance requirement to match automobile-style minimums of $10,000 personal injury and $10,000 property damage liability. Testimony on SB 88 was divided. The Florida Justice Association and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association opposed the bill, arguing UTVs are designed for off-road use, do not meet federal safety standards, and could increase crash risk on public roads; Honda’s letter was cited as opposing road use. Supporters, including the sponsor and agencies waiving in support, argued the bill would address an existing loophole, provide insurance and licensing requirements, and help rural users and law enforcement by creating a clear legal pathway. Senators raised concerns about nighttime visibility, taillight spacing, speed limits, and whether the bill should be more restrictive, but the committee ultimately voted to report CS for SB 88 favorably. The committee then heard SB 274 by Senator Arrington, which designates a portion of International Drive in Orange County as Harris Rosen Way in honor of hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen. The sponsor and several senators praised Rosen’s business success, philanthropy, and support for education, cancer research, veterans, and the Central Florida community. There was no opposition, and the bill was reported favorably by roll call vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• On any given year, over 40,000 people throughout the country die on public roads.
• , we have actually seen that we are making a marked impact on road safety.
• We have actually seen that we are making a marked impact on road safety.
• Those are paid rides a week on public roads.
• They want to be on the road. A lot of these folks are over 50.

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When it's on public roads, it knows exactly where it is.
• Those are paid rides a week on public roads.
• Those are paid rides a week on public roads.
• They want to be on the road. A lot of these folks are over 50.
• But I also recognize that... and deaths on our nation's roads.

Summary: The committee held a work session on autonomous vehicles, beginning with an overview from the Washington State Transportation Commission on the state’s five-year AV work group. The commission described its 2018 legislative mandate, the 35-member executive committee and seven subcommittees, and the resulting 29 recommendations and “roadmap to the future.” The presentation emphasized six policy “building blocks” for Washington: agency readiness, public outreach, equity, safety, testing and pilots, and a path to deployment. It also noted current Washington law requires AV testing companies to self-certify with the Department of Licensing, carry $5 million in liability insurance, report collisions and violations, and notify local law enforcement before testing; three companies are currently certified. State regulators from California and Arizona then outlined their AV frameworks. California described its long-running permit system for testing with and without a safety driver and for commercial deployment, its current rulemaking to expand use cases to heavy-duty trucks and passenger shuttles, and new requirements for mileage, operational assessments, and more detailed crash and incident reporting. California also said it is creating a new enforcement tool allowing citations to be issued to manufacturers for moving violations by AVs. Arizona described its executive-order-based approach, later codified by statute, which allows testing and driverless operations through self-certification, law enforcement interaction plans, quarterly meetings with companies, and reporting of crashes or near misses; Arizona also said it tracks crashes monthly and has not recorded fatalities attributed to AVs. Industry representatives from Waymo, Zoox, and the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association argued that AVs can improve safety, accessibility, and mobility while creating jobs. They described extensive sensor systems, community outreach, first-responder engagement, and current operations in multiple cities. Waymo cited more than 127 million rider-only miles and said its data show large reductions in injury-causing and pedestrian crashes; Zoox said it operates in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle and stressed its purpose-built electric robotaxi and local jobs; AVIA said its members have driven more than 145 million autonomous miles and that 26 states now expressly authorize driverless operations. Members asked about public education, crash and fatality tracking, enforcement, weather, school zones, first-responder interactions, and labor impacts. Labor and public-safety witnesses from the Teamsters, firefighters, and driver unions opposed commercial AV deployment without stronger safeguards. They argued Washington should not be an unregulated testing ground, especially for heavy trucks and hazardous materials, and warned of job losses for drivers, taxi and rideshare workers, and related occupations. Firefighters and driver representatives raised concerns about AVs interfering with emergency scenes, blocking responders, and creating risks in dynamic roadway incidents. Committee members also asked for comparisons to human-driven vehicles, data on citations and crashes, and more information on how AVs interact with pedestrians, first responders, and workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• felt they were forced to go travel to other farms to pick up more hours, spending more time on the road
• for more than 40 hours per workweek or 12 hours per workday deserve to be fairly compensated for the toll

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with 58 members present and seven excused, establishing a quorum, and approved the April 15, 2026 journal as corrected. The chamber then moved through announcements recognizing visiting railroad workers, LIUNA Local 720, Colorado West Christian Schools, Religious Freedom Day, and several school and community groups, along with birthday acknowledgments and committee schedule notices. The House also adopted a motion to remove House Bill 1245 from special orders and returned it to the general orders second reading calendar, and set House Bills 1290, 1312, and 1321 as special orders. The House adopted Senate Joint Resolution 18, recognizing Nowruz and expressing support for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people, including the Women, Life, Freedom movement. Supporters described Nowruz as a holiday of renewal and resilience and tied the resolution to solidarity with Iranian communities. Representative Zokaie also spoke at length about the personal impact of war on Iranian families and urged a vote. The resolution passed 59-2 with four excused. The chamber then considered several bills in committee report. House Bill 1290, concerning assault and clarifying sentencing, was amended in Judiciary to remove the medical professional provision and passed after testimony emphasizing strangulation as a serious warning sign in domestic violence cases; it then passed the House. House Bill 1312, dealing with peace officer participation, POST Board composition, academy training, and related grants, was amended for clarity and passed the Judiciary report and then the bill. House Bill 1321, modifying the School Security Disbursement Program, had the Education Committee report defeated, but amendments were adopted to broaden eligible service providers and adjust funding language; the bill then passed as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the local road and larger city.
• </c> about the local bridge and local road about the local bridge and local road improvement<00:35:14.240
• Road bridge money can continue on.
• Road bridge money can continue on. on. Road bridge money can continue on.
• </c><00:45:24.160><c> and</c> day-to-day funding for roads and day-to-day funding for roads and bridges

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:42.680><c> I</c> interest in regulating private road I interest in regulating private road
• And in the spring, if you come in and you’re going to build that road and the new house and the road
• And in the spring, if you come in and you’re going to build that road and the new house and the road
• And in the spring, if you come in and you’re going to build that road and the new house and the road
• To build that road and the new house, and the road is soft and you damage the road bringing in a big

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that I have knowledge of private road law, private roads, trails, and ways. private roads, trails, and
• </c><00:36:36.400><c> And</c> roads and trails. And roads and trails.
• </c><00:40:35.320><c> And</c> close the road. And close the road.
• My private road starts at the end of the town road and runs for over 2,000 feet.
• road.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:33.240><c> more</c> compare Wisconsin tabs to roads more compare Wisconsin tabs to roads more
• Roads are expensive.
• </c><00:31:59.080><c> I</c><00:31:59.160><c> think</c> to fix our roads. I think to fix our roads.
• Roads are going to be a real problem. Roads are expensive. expensive. expensive.
• </c><00:32:15.760><c> in</c> because we weren't keeping our roads in because we weren't keeping our roads

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> maintain the state's roads and bridges. maintain the state's roads and bridges.
• Is that for new roads being built completely new roads, or is that repairing roads as well?
• , that is for our highway system, the new roads or improvements of roads.
• roads.
• </c> uh or improving roads versus new roads. uh or improving roads versus new roads.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• essential in helping us modernize our infrastructure, support our municipal partners, and make our roads
• essential in helping us modernize our infrastructure, support our municipal partners, and make our roads
• An additional $100 million will be allocated based exclusively on local road mileage.
• The one we chose for the extra $100 million—to do road miles only—reflected a number of things.
• boss with maybe three people to work on 60 miles of road, it's that road boss that has to work at night

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Bonding, State Assets, and Capital Expenditures held its first public hearing on House Bill 4257, a transportation bonding bill. The administration testified in support, describing the bill as a $1.185 billion authorization: $300 million for Chapter 90 municipal road funding and $885 million for statewide transportation capital programs. Officials said the bill would increase municipal aid by 50%, with $200 million distributed under the traditional Chapter 90 formula and $100 million based solely on road mileage to better help rural communities. They also highlighted $500 million for bridge and pavement lifecycle asset management, $200 million for culverts and small bridges, and $185 million for congestion, safety, ADA, sidewalk, and multimodal improvements. Committee members asked about how municipalities would apply, how the road-mile formula would affect rural towns, and how the bill would interact with federal funding uncertainty and debt financing. Administration witnesses explained that projects would be administered through MassDOT district offices and Grant Central, that the bill would not backfill rescinded federal funds, and that the proposal would likely use special obligation bonds backed by Fair Share revenues to reduce pressure on the Commonwealth’s general obligation debt limit. Members also pressed the administration on the shift from general obligation to special obligation financing and on whether the Chapter 90 increase keeps pace with inflation. Administration officials said the special obligation structure would be credit-rated separately and was intended to expand available capital without affecting the GO bond cap, while acknowledging that the Commonwealth’s debt portfolio would grow. They said the Chapter 90 increase would roughly restore purchasing power lost since 2012, though construction inflation has outpaced general inflation. Several members and witnesses emphasized the importance of the road-mile formula for rural communities and the need for technical assistance for small towns. The Massachusetts Municipal Association testified in strong support of the bill, calling Chapter 90 and the new infrastructure authorizations critical for cities and towns facing federal uncertainty and rising costs. The Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association also supported the bill, citing the importance of the funding for road and bridge work, the construction season, and the industry’s economic impact. A committee member asked about asphalt price inflation, and the witness said liquid asphalt costs rose sharply after COVID, including increases of around 20% in some years. At the end of the hearing, the chair said members would receive a poll by email to move the bill out quickly, and the committee then voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 956, Senator Jennings, Maryland Transportation Authority video tolls collection, on third
• It subjects those projects, billions in infrastructure, to the same rules of the road that exist for
• It subjects those projects, billions in infrastructure, to the same rules of the road that exist for
• It subjects those projects, billions in infrastructure, to the same rules of the road that exist for
• It subjects those projects, billions in infrastructure, to the same rules of the road that exist for

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, April 2, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Support definitely helps keep our roads in good order.
• If it occurs on a state road outside of a construction project...
• On our NM Roads, we just relaunched our NM Roads application.
• You know, I've got Road 603 that's... Been a pain in all of our butts.
• And so it's always because it's a shared road with county and state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, it does suggest that there would be, under Section 5D, certain roads that would be open, but roads
• </c> roads that would be open but um roads roads that would be open but um roads and<00:34:21.760><c>
• Is that 10 miles of road?
• Tricky are in the road, man.
• those roads or trails Class 6 roads, or ones that were historically public ways?

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , but also on-road in some cases, right?
• </c> but but anyways it's it's only for roads but but anyways it's it's only for roads up<00:10:20.800
• off-road off-road vehicles<00:12:15.399><c> um</c><00:12:16.279><c> and</c><00:12:16.480><c> whether
• roads.
• </c> to have roads we want to open up roads to have roads we want to open up roads within<00:34:59.880

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee heard testimony on House Bill 375, which would allow municipalities to designate certain road segments for ATV travel, create maps and signage for those routes, set seasonal limits, and require certain equipment on ATVs such as lights, a horn, flashers, and directional signals. The sponsor, Rep. Dan Maguire, said the bill is intended to support tourism and give towns a structured, optional way to permit ATV use on roads, not to override existing uses. Members asked about possible overlap with agricultural vehicle rules, golf carts, speed limits, and whether the bill could allow ATV use on busier roads or expressways; the sponsor said he did not intend to interfere with existing lawful uses and believed golf carts would only be included if they met the relevant statutory requirements. NHDOT State Maintenance Engineer Alan Hennessy said the department had concerns with language exempting municipalities and the Bureau of Trails from the permitting process, arguing that the existing permit system provides needed review, public notice, and signage requirements. He also raised questions about road funding and maintenance if ATVs were allowed on state highways. Fish and Game Captain Michael Eastman testified that his commission opposed the bill as written, citing concerns about the ATV definition, the distinction between ATVs, UTVs, and other OHRVs, and the potential impact on state highways and road maintenance. He said towns can already open roads to OHRV use under existing law, and he noted that accident data for road use would generally be handled by local police or State Police rather than Fish and Game. Craig Reny, chief of the Bureau of Trails, said the current Bureau of Trails/DOT permit process for highway crossings and connectors works well and is used to ensure safety through engineering review. He said his bureau was not taking a position on the bill but wanted to clarify that existing procedures already address many of the issues the bill appears to cover. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s different than pulling a car going down the road at 80 miles an hour.
• Representative Green, let's not go down that road anymore of another bill.
• They're on the roads.
• They're on the roads.
• Tired driving down the road and having one that sees a car on an on-ramp a mile down the road.

Committee: House Transportation and Defense

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> permit any roads that are over 2,000 ft. permit any roads that are over 2,000 ft.
• </c><00:39:10.000><c> Big</c> road. Big sigh. Big road. Big sigh. Big exhale.<00:39:11.760><c> Sure.
• </c> to kick the can down the road. to kick the can down the road. Okay,<00:41:15.359><c> good.
• </c> back end is they'll increase their road back end is they'll increase their road frontage.<00:48:
• </c> request a 300 ft road request a 300 ft road frontage.<00:48:20.640><c> So</c><00:48:20.880><c> now

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened discussion on SP 170 and worked through the bill section by section, focusing first on housing discrimination language and then on land-use and development provisions. On the housing section, members discussed adding “school enrollment status” or a similar term as a protected class to prevent municipalities from steering students into specific zones, especially in Durham. Some members questioned whether “status” was too vague and suggested “enrollment status” or “school enrollment status” for clarity. Public testimony raised concerns that adding a new protected class could have broader implications beyond this bill and could affect municipal zoning authority, while supporters argued the language was needed to prevent discrimination against students in housing access. The committee then heard testimony on provisions limiting municipal authority over septic test pits and well-siting requirements. DEES officials and a builder testified that state standards are already protective of groundwater and surface water and that some local requirements are more stringent than the state’s, adding cost and delay to housing projects. Supporters said uniform state standards would make housing development faster and more predictable. Opponents warned that local rules can protect aquifers, wellhead areas, and drinking water in specific communities, and that removing municipal flexibility could weaken those protections. The subcommittee appeared comfortable keeping these sections, though members discussed whether to clarify the language and whether some local review authority should remain. The meeting also covered road-length limits, caps on the number of lots on dead-end roads, and subdivision design rules. Members generally supported prohibiting municipalities from using maximum road length or lot caps to block development, with one amendment suggested to allow such limits where adequate water and sewer capacity is lacking. The committee also discussed allowing utilities and infrastructure such as septic systems, wells, electric systems, drainage structures, and shared leach fields to be placed in subdivision open space or perimeter buffers when those areas are not protected wetlands or shoreland. Finally, the committee reviewed a provision requiring municipalities to stamp and accept plan changes within three days after initial review, with members explaining that the goal is to prevent repeated, incremental changes from dragging out the approval process. No final votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided, but members indicated general comfort with several sections as amended or clarified.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a quirky niche that we have: roads, private roads, Class Six roads, road maintenance agreements,
• Someone has on a Class Six road, they're on a Class Six road or a private road, you have to comply with
• It's a quirky niche that we have: roads, private roads, Class Six roads, road maintenance agreements,
• Someone has on a Class Six road, they're on a Class Six road or a private road, you have to comply with
• Someone has on a Class Six road, they're on a Class Six road or a private road, you have to comply with

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all