Transcript Highlights:

• Members, SB 204 raises penalties against illegal slot operators.
• These illegal slot operations fuel secondary criminal activity, undermine Florida's regulated gaming
• These illegal slot operations fuel secondary criminal activity, undermine Florida's regulated gaming
• This bill elevates illegal slot machine operations to a third-degree felony, Mr.
• , having six or more machines, those are the operators.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government met with a quorum present and first took up confirmation votes for appointees on tabs 2 through 6, which were recommended favorably without public testimony. The committee then heard and approved CS/SB 1474, which would direct DEP to stop issuing or reissuing permits for Class B biosolids land application when a wastewater treatment facility is reasonably accessible within 50 miles, and CS/SB 1708, which removes a timing requirement for out-of-state veterinarians seeking Florida licensure while keeping other competency safeguards in place. Both bills were reported favorably after brief discussion and support from public witnesses on SB 1708. The committee also approved CS/SB 204, as amended, to increase penalties for illegal slot machine operations, with the amendment setting misdemeanor treatment for lower-level violations and felony penalties for larger-scale or repeat offenses; the bill also creates a process for veteran service organizations to seek binding declaratory statements from the Gaming Commission about machine legality. Public testimony on that bill was largely supportive, including from gaming and veterans-related stakeholders, though one witness urged clarity so smaller, lawful operators would not face felony exposure. CS/CS/SB 1294 was then amended and reported favorably; it addresses oversight of Class AA biosolids by requiring application at or below agronomic rates, recordkeeping, IFAS guidance, and application of existing fertilizer-related requirements, while preserving an exemption for certain compost products. Later, the committee favorably reported CS/SB 772, which allows portable electronics limited licensees to sell warranty insurance and defines that coverage, and CS/SB 1504, which lets a high school student who completes a half-credit insurance and personal finance elective qualify to apply for a 440 customer service representative license upon turning 18. Finally, the committee adopted a strike-all amendment to CS/SB 540, creating cybersecurity program requirements for licensed mortgage and money service businesses, expanding oversight of certain investment advisers, clarifying emergency suspension authority for anti-money laundering violations, extending payment deadlines for examination costs, and updating director experience requirements for chartered financial institutions; the bill was then reported favorably. Senators McLean and Trunow requested to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on tabs 11 and 13, and the committee adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um sorry I'm operational autonomy.
• first three years of operation first three years of operation your<01:02:06.480> enroll<01
• It will be its fourth year of operation It will be its fourth year of operation in<01:03:33.520>
• <01:39:34.480> Um historically how we've operated. Um historically how we've operated.
• So we operate on a districts.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > Metropolitan<00:59:16.240> Airports is operated by the Metropolitan Airports is operated
• <01:09:39.199> here profits for the airlines operating here profits for the airlines operating
• system does not operate in a vacuum. system does not operate in a vacuum.
• <01:25:46.800> Homeman's Reading and I own and operate Homeman's Reading and I own and operate
• Another one-sizefits-all operate.

Bills: HF3889, HF2567, HF3878

Keywords: workforce development, grant program, employment, economic development, funding, employment contract, labor policy, employee rights, unconscionable provisions, public policy, legal enforcement, airport workers, wage standards, labor rights, minimum wage, economic equity, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• business they can continue operating business they can continue operating while<00:09:56.079>
• <00:23:20.600> similar the way other states operate similar the way other states operate similar
• <01:47:34.080> in timelines for mining operations in timelines for mining operations in Minnesota
• operation and permitting of it?
• operation and permitting of it?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:30.440> budget turn adds cost to our operating budget turn adds cost to our operating
• two-thirds of the boiler operational two-thirds of the boiler operational capacity<00:11:40.639>
• we have one boiler that's only operating we have one boiler that's only operating at<00:11:45.480
• :31.319> Freight A 25% net gross operating for freight, and 20% net gross operating for tourist
• They oversee our operations.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a Department of Corrections capital budget presentation on HB 25, focused largely on urgent maintenance and security needs at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men and other DOC facilities. DOC officials described the governor’s proposed priorities: boiler surge and radiator tank replacements, electronic controls and camera upgrades, and replacement of HVAC units using R22 refrigerant. They also outlined additional requested projects totaling $15.4 million, including a body alarm/man-down system at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility, steam line and trap repairs, fire alarm replacements, and removal of an underground diesel tank in favor of above-ground storage. DOC testified that many systems are well beyond their expected service life, including 40-year-old boilers, outdated analog cameras, and HVAC equipment using discontinued R22 refrigerant. They said the men’s prison is relying on a leased temporary boiler, has significant steam leaks causing major water loss and reduced boiler efficiency, and is dealing with frequent fire alarm faults and deteriorating wiring. On the body alarm system, they said the vendor no longer supports the equipment and replacement parts are no longer available. On the diesel tank, members questioned whether it could be abandoned in place or whether fuel could be reused; DOC said it had not explored all alternatives and would follow up, while noting the tank is underground and tied into the warehouse system. Members also asked whether some current investments could be reused in the planned new men’s prison. DOC said some items, such as air handlers, might potentially be moved, but most projects are needed to keep the current facility operational and would not be practical to transfer. Questions were also raised about the leased boiler arrangement, the use of the man-down system by staff and visitors, and whether the kitchen project could be converted to a modular unit. DOC said the modular kitchen approach is necessary because the existing kitchen cannot remain fully operational during repairs. The committee then moved to lapse extensions, and DOC identified several projects no longer needing extensions, including items numbered 64, 65, and 66 in HB 25, with the chair noting those balances would be deleted and that the lapse amount was $550,500.

Transcript Highlights:

• Excuse me, this clarification is a technical adjustment aimed at improving the operational efficiency
• improvements, and sustain operations.
• We operate on low-density tracks with deferred maintenance.
• Our rail lines need to be upgraded to operate 286,000-pound rail cars and operate at a much higher speed
• To my knowledge, none of this goes to operational or administrative costs.

Bills: SB682, SB1013, SB1369, SB1422, SB2001, SB2080, SB2366, SB2705, SB2841

Keywords: memorial highway, Captain Kevin Williams, Firefighter Austin Cheek, Smith County, transportation, pedestrian right-of-way, sidewalk users, bicycle safety, micromobility, electric scooter, motor-assisted scooter, electric personal assistive mobility device, skateboard, roller skates, driveway crossing, alley crossing, traffic safety, yield law, Texas Transportation Code, vehicle-pedestrian collision

Transcript Highlights:

• Kiko done chair of vice president of launch with SpaceX and activities in spaceport operations and we
• it. do things that you build a website and then operate it.
• But, you know, we already own and operate launch complex as we own and operate.
• I started at Kennedy Space Center's of operations engineer.
• that occurs on the eastern range regardless of the operations location.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bottom line operations of those projects don't meet.
• The bottom line operations of those projects don't meet.
• So there's an incredibly challenging operational environment for projects.
• their operating environment that many projects were not structured to navigate.
• Rent collections, the revenue side of operations, continue to be a struggle.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee met for a series of information sessions focused on housing stabilization, rental assistance, senior housing, and heat resilience. In the first panel, OHCS and NOAA described the state’s affordable housing preservation work, including the $35 million in 2025 stabilization funding used to reduce debt and keep distressed affordable rental projects operating, plus manufactured home park preservation efforts. OHCS said the portfolio remains under strain, with about a third of projects at debt coverage ratios of 1.0 or less and rising insurance and operating costs. NOAA urged faster closings on the stabilization awards, more funding in 2027, and broader rent assistance and process reforms. Committee members asked about the gap between current appropriations and need, and OHCS explained that the new Article 11-Q bond preservation program is structured differently and requires full refinancing rather than simple cash infusions. The committee then heard a detailed discussion of the state’s eviction prevention and rental assistance program, ORDAP. OHCS said the program is administered through community action agencies, prioritizes households at imminent risk of eviction, and is now funded at a much lower level than in the prior biennium, reducing expected service to about 8,200 households this biennium. The Oregon Law Center, a county community action agency, and Multifamily Northwest all agreed the program prevents homelessness and is effective, but they differed on whether assistance should be tied so closely to eviction court. Legal aid and community action witnesses said the current system is underfunded and that eviction filings are the clearest indicator of need, while Multifamily Northwest argued the process can push people into court unnecessarily and should be moved earlier when possible. Legislators raised questions about whether a pre-eviction model could be developed and about the costs of court involvement; one member shared a personal story about how rental assistance helped keep their family housed. Next, the governor’s office, OHCS, and OHA presented on the new senior housing initiative and healthy homes work. The governor’s housing director said Oregon is making progress on homelessness and housing production, with reductions in homelessness outside Multnomah County and an estimated 50,000 future units added to the pipeline through recent state actions. OHCS outlined the senior housing programs launched in May: a debt-financing program using elderly and disabled bond authority, an older adult housing development program funded through the senior property tax deferral revolving account, and a rehousing program for older adults that will use bridge funding and services to move at least 400 unsheltered older Oregonians into housing. OHA also described its Healthy Homes Grant Program, including $24.6 million already awarded, a new $5 million grant round for seniors and people with disabilities, and examples of home repairs and weatherization that help people remain safely housed. The final information session focused on home cooling and heat resilience. OHA presented data showing rising extreme heat days, more heat-related emergency visits, and likely undercounted heat deaths, especially among older adults, people with disabilities, low-income communities, and people without access to healthy homes. ODOE reviewed implementation of Senate Bill 1536, including a cooling needs study that found 58% of surveyed households in the studied housing types needed permanent cooling, with estimated statewide costs of $582 million to $1 billion. ODOE said its rental home heat pump and community heat pump programs have supported 4,638 installations so far, with a temporary reopening planned using remaining funds. The session ended with a remote presentation from a Community Action Partnership of Oregon representative, continuing the discussion of how community action agencies help deliver energy and anti-poverty services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Training no longer operates the way it did decades ago.
• Basin, also the extraction workers and pipeline operators.
• How do you collect against a company that's no longer operating?
• The companies operating in the space are doing extraordinary work.
• Basin, as well as extraction workers and pipeline operators.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills. SB 1059 would modernize the Employment Training Panel by allowing electronic record-keeping, digital attendance documentation, and updated training terminology; supporters said it would reduce paperwork and better match current workplace practices, while no opposition appeared. SB 966 would make permanent refinery worker participation and safety protections adopted in 2017 after the Richmond Chevron fire; labor supporters backed the bill as a way to preserve stop-work and safety review rights, while the Western States Petroleum Association opposed it, arguing it conflicted with a prior settlement and could be preempted by federal labor law. SB 1024 would provide 26 weeks of paid postpartum and recovery leave for firefighters, with supporters emphasizing recruitment and retention of women in the fire service and the health risks of returning too soon after childbirth; there was no opposition testimony. The committee also heard SB 1316, which would strengthen wage theft enforcement by allowing Labor Commissioner liens to be renewed, limiting late use of records by employers, and requiring Cal/OSHA to report complaints and citations data annually. Supporters said the bill would help workers collect judgments and address long backlogs, while no opposition testified. SB 1185 would apply skilled-and-trained workforce standards to pharmaceutical facility construction and maintenance; labor and building trades groups supported it as a safety and quality measure, while contractor groups opposed it as an unnecessary expansion of state mandates onto private projects. SB 1227 would create apprenticeship pathways into DIR enforcement jobs, including Cal/OSHA and Labor Commissioner roles, to address staffing shortages; supporters said it would improve enforcement and create career pathways, and no opposition was heard. The committee first heard the bills in subcommittee and later took formal votes once a quorum was present. All six bills advanced: SB 966 passed 4-1 to Senate Appropriations, SB 1024 passed 5-0 to Appropriations, SB 1059 passed 5-0 to Appropriations, SB 1185 passed 4-1 to Appropriations, SB 1227 passed 5-0 to Appropriations, and SB 1316 passed 5-0 to Senate Judiciary. Several bills were amended before passage, including SB 1059, SB 1185, and SB 1227.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, if a cable operator is required to move those lines, is it..."
• <00:09:33.680> and wood um says that cable operators and wood um says that cable operators
• situation I mean if if a cable operator situation I mean if if a cable operator is<00:10:21.880>
• The licensed to operate any Class A, B, or C vehicles unless he or she has a K restriction.
• The licensed to operate any Class A, B, or C vehicles unless he or she has a K restriction.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from its previous meeting. It then considered several transportation-related bills, beginning with House Bill 157 on special license plates. The bill, as amended by a committee substitute, would create a commercial Friends of Agriculture plate to support agriculture-related programs, with proceeds going to the same fund used by the existing farm tag. Members also discussed the committee substitute’s fee exemptions for military-related plates, and the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. The committee next took up House Bill 682 on utility relocation. Testimony from Charter Communications explained that the bill would update outdated law so cable and broadband providers are treated like public utilities for reimbursement when forced to relocate facilities for highway projects, while preserving the Transportation Cabinet’s discretion over reimbursements. Members asked about the current reimbursement process and fiscal impact; witnesses said the bill does not change cabinet discretion and therefore has no fiscal note. The bill was reported favorably. House Bill 443, which would shift the east end signage of the H. Rogers Parkway farther east to US 23 in Prestonsburg to reflect the already four-laned section and support future federal funding efforts, also received favorable expression. House Bill 444, a commercial driver’s licensing measure brought by the Transportation Cabinet and amended by committee substitute, would align Kentucky reporting requirements with federal law and allow drivers age 18 and older to qualify for a hazardous materials endorsement, with limits excluding school buses and interstate transport. Members discussed the safety rationale and the need for drivers in agriculture and propane delivery; the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 493 on towing and storage of motor vehicles. Representative Pollock and a Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance witness described it as a cleanup bill aimed at transparency and enforcement against predatory towing and inflated charges, and members noted constituent concerns about towing practices. The bill was reported favorably with a committee substitute attached. The committee also reviewed Administrative Regulation 600 KAR 1:041, which updates disadvantaged business enterprise certification rules to conform to federal nomenclature and related federal changes; the regulation was reviewed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• operation operation at<01:10:25.679> which<01:10:25.920> point<01:10:27.199> uh
• So political subdivisions operation.
• We do operate in a different model.
• Health Trust is the longest operating Health Trust is the longest operating and<01:33:54.960>
• , clarifies the order of operations, clarifies the order of operations, promoting<02:02:32.800>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'll show you which operators stepped up.
• What you'll note is, if you go back to that top operator slide, these are the top operators, not the
• And if you're a Bakken operator, you get X many years.
• If you're not a Bakken operator, you get X many years.
• And the operators follow Wall Street. And there's no big ramp up.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Budget Section Leadership Division met with a quorum and approved the March 18 minutes. The committee first heard an update from the Petroleum Council on oil and gas activity in North Dakota. Ron Ness said production is expected to remain relatively flat at just under 1.2 million barrels per day, with efficiency gains and longer laterals helping offset lower rig counts. He discussed oil and gas prices, gas taxation, flaring concerns, northward movement of drilling activity, and the importance of new infrastructure and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) pilots. Members asked about gas taxation, natural gas liquids, pipeline impacts, and the outlook for Continental and other operators. Ness said the industry is likely to remain steady rather than see a major ramp-up or decline. Matt Pearl of the State Tax Department then explained the federal “big beautiful bill” and its effect on North Dakota income tax collections. He said the law extends or makes permanent several federal provisions and creates temporary deductions for seniors, tips, overtime, and auto loan interest, with the biggest state impact coming from the standard deduction increase and business tax changes. He revised earlier estimates downward, saying the net cash impact on state collections is likely in the $30 million to $35 million range after accounting for business prepayments and one-time FY25 oilfield transaction effects. Committee members asked which provisions apply to standard versus itemized returns. OMB staff gave a detailed update on major capital projects and facility funding. Topics included Capitol grounds improvements such as 18th-floor renovations, wayfinding, seating, lighting, tree management, and restroom and lobby upgrades; security work at the governor’s residence, which has been delayed by the discovery of human remains; and space reconfiguration efforts in Bismarck-Mandan to reduce leases and create shared offices and conference rooms. They also reported on the State Facility Maintenance Fund, including roof, window, boiler, and kitchen projects at state facilities, and on the state hospital project in Jamestown, which remains on budget and on schedule for substantial completion in winter 2027 and opening in spring 2028. OMB also updated the committee on the Minot North Central State Office Building, the use of federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds, and the status of legislative intent and trust fund reports, including school aid turnback, the school construction loan program, the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund, the Legacy Fund, and the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund. The committee ended by discussing future agenda items, including government efficiency, cash management, Bank of North Dakota lines of credit, and the rural health transformation program, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current operator at that location runs on a volunteer model.
• They have an operating budget of about $1.6 million.
• So for FY 26, the operating budget at CYFD will be $396.1 million.
• The top of this chart is CYFD's operating budget.
• And then Barbara Tedro is owner and operator of 5 childcare centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• decisions made by both the railroad Commission and by industry operators.
• Produced water injection operators, created created the operators led response plan within the same area
• We are concerned about the impacts it would have for our operators, our operations in terms of cost and
• You say 623 Class B operators that are currently not in the 811 system.
• area as the operators.

Bills: HB206

Keywords: HB206, school district bonds, bond election, voter approval, Education Code, Chapter 45, Section 45.003, Section 45.0034, Texas schools, school finance, local tax election, bond referendum, school construction, capital improvements, election frequency, five-year waiting period, district bonds, public school funding

Transcript Highlights:

• This funding supports activities such as but not limited to staffing and operating costs that supports
• This slide gives some operational context of those activities that are categorized into 5 phases of operations
• You'll notice that these categories have a direct link to the previous lies and connect all operational
• This example gives visibility on a lean program operating cost in addition to the operating cost.
• So when you look at the eligibility program, they're pretty much operating off a couple key things staff

Transcript Highlights:

• Training no longer operates the way it did decades ago.
• Basin, also the extraction workers and pipeline operators.
• So that change that moves, that comes with different operators, is problematic.
• The companies operating in the space are doing extraordinary work.
• Basin, as well as extraction workers and pipeline operators.

Summary: The committee heard several labor and workforce bills. SB 1059 would modernize the Employment Training Panel by allowing electronic record-keeping, digital attendance documentation, and updated training terminology; supporters said it would reduce paperwork and better match current training systems, while no opposition appeared. SB 966 would codify refinery process safety protections adopted in 2017 after the 2012 Chevron Richmond fire, including worker participation in safety proceedings, anonymous hazard reporting, access to safety information, and stop-work authority; labor supported it, while the Western States Petroleum Association opposed it as conflicting with a 2024 settlement and potentially preempted by federal labor law. SB 1024 would provide 26 weeks of paid postpartum and recovery leave for firefighters who give birth, with job restoration and no requirement to use sick or vacation time first; firefighters and labor groups strongly supported it, and the committee discussed staffing and operational coverage concerns, but no opposition testified. The committee also heard SB 1316, which would strengthen wage theft enforcement by allowing Labor Commissioner liens to be renewed, limiting employers’ late use of records, and requiring Cal/OSHA to report complaints and citations data annually. Supporters said the bill would help workers actually collect wages after long delays and prevent employers from hiding records; it passed the committee on a 5-0 vote. SB 1185 would apply skilled and trained workforce requirements to pharmaceutical facility construction and maintenance, with supporters arguing these facilities require high precision to protect public health and supply chains; construction industry opponents said the bill was an unnecessary expansion of state mandates into private projects. SB 1227 would create apprenticeship pathways into DIR enforcement jobs, including Cal/OSHA and Labor Commissioner roles, to address staffing shortages and improve labor law enforcement; supporters emphasized vacancies and backlogs, and the bill was framed as a way to build a merit-based pipeline into state service. After hearing testimony, the committee took final votes on all six bills once the full membership returned. SB 966, SB 1024, SB 1059, SB 1185, and SB 1227 were all reported out of committee, and SB 1316 was also passed and sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The recorded final votes were unanimous or near-unanimous in favor, with the bills advancing on 4-1 or 5-0 votes depending on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• a case law that we have been operating in dispensing machines that are both legal and able to be operated
• Let us know what the letter of the law is that we can operate. We're happy to do it.
• The veterans are just looking for a way to continue to operate within the law.
• We don't want to operate against the law. We just want to continue to do what we do.
• These are not slogans for us but baked into the way we operate.

Bills: S0598, S0934, S1260, S1300, S1452, S1510, S1566, S1580, S1668, S7034

Keywords: funeral homes, cemetery law, cremation, embalmer, funeral director, preneed contract, preneed funeral, human remains, unclaimed cremated remains, disposition of remains, hospice, palliative care, end-of-life care, direct disposal, mortuary science, funeral service arts, licensure by endorsement, cemetery license, contiguous acres, consumer services

Transcript Highlights:

• the operations the operations agency's<00:06:31.680> response.
• Andrea Olsen, administrative operations supervisor for DNCR.
• Andrea Olsen, administrative operations supervisor for DNCR.
• Andrea Olsen, administrative operations supervisor for DNCR.
• Andrea Olsen, administrative operations supervisor for DNCR.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The JLCAR June meeting opened with the pledge, approval of the prior minutes, and adoption of the consent calendar after one Fish and Game item was pulled for separate consideration. The committee then reordered the regular calendar and postponed an HHS item at the agency’s request because work was still ongoing. The committee next considered OPLC item 2547, concerning amendments to licensure and discipline forms for regulated professions. Members raised concerns that the application was still too geared toward health professions and that renewal forms should be shorter, but the agency said it was moving toward a dynamic online form that would collapse irrelevant questions. The committee concluded the issue was more about agency operations than policy and adopted the rule. For DNCR item 2551, on rules for the Adopt-a-Park volunteer program, staff explained the agency had been operating the program under statute but had realized rules were required and had been using DOJ review in the meantime. Committee members noted the agency had not followed the rulemaking requirement but was now correcting it, and the rule was approved. Fish and Game item 2570, on electronic OHRV and snowmobile registration applications, drew discussion over whether the online process should be processed in five days to match mail-in applications or remain at ten days; the agency cited workload and file-transfer delays, and the committee adopted a conditional approval with an oral amendment leaving the ten-day timeframe in place for now. In other business, staff described a planned upgrade to the committee’s agency portal and database workflow, moving from email submissions to an online portal with better form validation and document upload features. Members supported the modernization and approved the manual change, with implementation expected after agency sign-up and training later in the summer.

Transcript Highlights:

• And from affordable housing developers, we hear that operating costs are overwhelming and making it hard
• And from affordable housing developers, we hear that operating costs are overwhelming and making it hard
• always reliable and they do sometimes hamper the ability of housing providers to adequately cover operating
• The CDA owns and operates 990 locally controlled housing units in 10 different cities, in addition to
• The CDA owns and operates 990 locally controlled housing units in 10 different cities, in addition to

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, when the new driver's license system is complete, we will have some operating cost with it.
• Now, when the new driver's license system is complete, we will have some operating cost with it.
• And uh that that operating cost with it.
• <00:20:34.960> So,<00:20:35.120> it's and a good operating system.
• So, it's and a good operating system.

Keywords: 00:01 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:47 Maintenance 12:40 Approval of Minutes 12:55 Vehicle Regulation 21:08 General Admin and Highways 34:11 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met without a quorum at first, then later approved the minutes once quorum was established. The committee heard presentations from Transportation Cabinet officials Mike Hancock, Jeremy Slinker, and Sean McCarnieran on maintenance, vehicle regulation, general administration, highways, and related capital projects. Hancock emphasized that maintenance is the cabinet’s most visible public service, especially for snow and ice removal and routine roadway upkeep, and said rising costs have outpaced funding. He cited a 61% increase in highway construction costs since 2020 and said maintenance spending was $488 million in FY 2024 and $511 million in FY 2025, while the FY 2026 baseline request was $483.3 million. The cabinet’s additional maintenance request would add $23.6 million in FY 2027 and $38.6 million in FY 2028, with expected impacts on litter pickup, mowing, vegetation management, and pothole repair if not funded. The cabinet also outlined five maintenance-related capital projects: additional funding for Ballard County maintenance/salt storage, Hopkins County maintenance/salt storage, Whitley County maintenance/salt structure, and the District 2 office and materials lab, plus reauthorization of the Breckinridge County maintenance and salt facility. Hancock also asked for budget language allowing the cabinet to use unexpected restricted and federal funds more quickly, similar to existing authority for federal earmarks. McCarnieran described the governor’s inclusion of funding for the ASHTOWare system, employee health exams, priority IT projects, and a District 7 office renovation request, noting that some items were not funded because they ranked low among competing projects. He also said the governor’s budget included a $7.5 million annual maintenance pool for the cabinet’s 1,200 facilities and requested additional restricted fund authority for Trimark and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. Slinker focused on the Department of Vehicle Regulation, saying recent investments in staffing and equipment had reduced wait times and improved customer service in driver licensing offices. He requested $535,600 to keep temporary contract workers in place for the rest of the year, warning that without it regional office operations would have to be reduced. He said the surge in demand was driven by new 15-year-old licensing requirements, vision testing, and Real ID implementation, but believed the volume was beginning to level out. He also outlined FY 2027 and FY 2028 plans totaling $20.38 million and $19.85 million, including six new regional offices and a shift away from temporary workers toward state positions. Additional requests included $106,000 for debt service on the new driver’s license modernization system and operating costs of $5 million in FY 2027 and $2.5 million in FY 2028 to support the transition from the old system. Members asked about the cabinet’s funding sources, and officials said the road fund is the primary source, supported by motor fuels tax, usage tax, driver-related receipts, and some restricted funds; they stressed that the requests were not for additional general fund dollars. Questions also covered employee health exam reimbursements, the annual Trimark/Cumberland Gap contract, and the District 7 renovation request. No votes were taken on the budget items during the meeting, beyond approval of the minutes.