Transcript Highlights:

• 05.080> Compact The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact
• <01:25:27.800> Interstate Oh, let me say this right.
• Interstate Oh, let me say this right.
• So for practical purposes, it's license.
• They go through the Legislative Commission on Data Practices.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's very rewarding, but about 10 years ago, I took over my father's practice, who had practiced in New
• So he put his practice up for sale.
• This isn't the state to practice in, which as my home state, as the state that I chose to practice in
• This isn't the state to practice in, which as my home state, as the state that I chose to practice in
• The physician daughter practices in Texas, and the attorney daughter practices in New Mexico.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its fourth meeting, held October 27-28 in Santa Fe, with Representative Duncan moving approval and no opposition. The chair then introduced a panel on the cost of providing medical care in New Mexico, focusing on physician shortages, rising practice costs, and access problems, especially in southern New Mexico and Las Cruces. Panelists included family physicians, a pediatrician, a cardiologist/electrophysiologist, and a community health center medical director, who described their backgrounds and practices before turning to the policy discussion. The doctors argued that New Mexico is losing physicians because of three main pressures: medical malpractice exposure, gross receipts tax on medical services, and low Medicaid reimbursement. They said malpractice premiums are much higher than in neighboring states, punitive damages and venue shopping increase risk, and the patient compensation fund and attorney fee structure create additional costs. They also described administrative burdens from insurance billing and referrals, the high debt and long training period for physicians, and the effect of corporate medicine and private equity on practice decisions. One panelist emphasized the economic impact of each physician on jobs and local spending, while another noted that shortages force patients into emergency rooms and delay specialty care. The panel presented a list of proposed solutions: reform punitive damages, limit venue shopping and stacking, restore lifetime medical payments from the patient compensation fund, enact apology protections, cap attorney fees, continue Medicaid funding improvements, and eliminate gross receipts tax on medical and dental services. Committee members generally agreed the presentation was thorough and useful, but several noted that some proposals fall outside this committee’s jurisdiction and would likely need to move through other committees, especially judiciary and tax. Some members supported drafting legislation or working on separate bills, while others urged caution, requested more input from hospitals and economists, and raised concerns about local government revenue impacts from GRT changes. The chair concluded by encouraging members to continue discussions offline and noted that the tax-related issue would be taken up further in the next day’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...practices that complement what's going on with water law and formal rules of governance.
• That's ICIP, Capital Outlay, ACDIF, which is the fund that the Interstate Stream Commission administers
• I am the ASECIA Bureau Chief with the New Mexico Interstate Streams Commission.
• And then four practicing attorneys out in the field at any one time—that's the grand vision of this.
• Those attorneys out there practicing in the field before the year's end.

Transcript Highlights:

• particular issue in my with this this particular issue in my with this this particular issue in my practice
• and thank you to the Department practice and thank you to the Department practice and thank you to the

Bills: HB 29, HB 125, HB 145, HB 171, HB 255, HB 50, HB 796, HB 363, HB 116, HB 491, HB 589, HB 1495, HB 368, HB 1285, HB 1905, HB 1360, HB 2002, HB 917, HB 2723, HB 2067, HB 1238, HB 2337, HB 745, HB 1188, HB 1606, HB 2003, HB 2147, HB 2391, HB 2355, HB 2546, HB 2495, HB 2818, HB 2249, HB 1749, HB 3109, HB 3228, HB 3240, HB 1507, HB 658, HB 1748, HB 1851, HB 1922, HB 2001, HB 2798, HB 107, HCR 29, SB 5, SB 262, HB 11, HJR 72, HB 106, HB 18, HB 48, HB 27, HB 37, HB 1481, HB 581, HB 1696, HB 2216, HB 1035, HB 1633, HB 742, HB 754, HB 1689, HB 1690, HB 2669, HB 391, HB 517, HB 1024, HB 1607, HB 252, HB 1716, HB 1562, HB 4116, HB 1866, HB 1741, HB 2103, HB 2637, HB 2884, HB 503, HB 1089, HB 2986, HB 972, HB 502, HB 29, HB 125, HB 145, HB 171, HB 255, HB 50, HB 796, HB 363, HB 116, HB 491, HB 589, HB 1495, HB 368, HB 1285, HB 1905, HB 1360, HB 2002, HB 917, HB 2723, HB 2067, HB 1238, HB 2337, HB 745, HB 1188, HB 1606, HB 2003, HB 2147, HB 2391, HB 2355, HB 2546, HB 2495, HB 2818, HB 2249, HB 1749, HB 3109, HB 3228, HB 3240, HB 1507, HB 658, HB 1748, HB 1851, HB 1922, HB 2001, HB 2798, HB 107, HCR 29

Keywords: water audit, water loss, water loss mitigation plan, municipally owned utility, municipal utility, water conservation, Texas Water Development Board, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water leakage, leak detection, billing data accuracy, utility validation, water audit validation, water scarcity, water management, infrastructure, public utility, conservation plan, administrative penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker members HB 1633 promotes responsible groundwater practices, and I move passage.
• Practical a warrant for the most dangerous parole violators move passage the question occurs on final
• This is a bill we past yesterday, codifying an existing DFPS best practice, simply changing a verbal
• HB number 2637 by Dea Ayala relating to the practice and procedures for summoning prosecutors.
• to practice federal law? The standard is just the same as for you or I to be elected. All right.

Bills: HB29, HB 125, HB145, HB171, HB255, HB50, HB796, HB363, HB 116, HB491, HB589, HB1495, HB368, HB 1285, HB1905, HB1360, HB2002, HB917, HB2723, HB2067, HB 1238, HB2337, HB745, HB 1188, HB1606, HB2003, HB2147, HB2391, HB2355, HB2546, HB2495, HB2818, HB2249, HB1749, HB3109, HB3228, HB3240, HB1507, HB658, HB1748, HB1851, HB1922, HB2001, HB2798, HB 107, HCR29, SB5, SB262, HB 11, HJR72, HB 106, HB18, HB48, HB27, HB37, HB1481, HB581, HB1696, HB2216, HB 1035, HB1633, HB742, HB754, HB1689, HB1690, HB2669, HB391, HB517, HB 1024, HB1607, HB252, HB1716, HB1562, HB4116, HB1866, HB1741, HB2103, HB2637, HB2884, HB503, HB 1089, HB2986, HB972, HB502, HB29, HB 125, HB145, HB171, HB255, HB50, HB796, HB363, HB 116, HB491, HB589, HB1495, HB368, HB 1285, HB1905, HB1360, HB2002, HB917, HB2723, HB2067, HB 1238, HB2337, HB745, HB 1188, HB1606, HB2003, HB2147, HB2391, HB2355, HB2546, HB2495, HB2818, HB2249, HB1749, HB3109, HB3228, HB3240, HB1507, HB658, HB1748, HB1851, HB1922, HB2001, HB2798, HB 107, HCR29

Keywords: water audit, water loss, water loss mitigation plan, municipally owned utility, municipal utility, water conservation, Texas Water Development Board, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water leakage, leak detection, billing data accuracy, utility validation, water audit validation, water scarcity, water management, infrastructure, public utility, conservation plan, administrative penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• revising the requirements for shielding outdoor light fixtures, adding exemptions and safety signs on interstates
• relating to military... ...children, correcting a reference to a United States Code provision in the Interstate
• An act relating to children, enacting the Exclusionary Practices Act, providing limitations on the expulsion
• Senator Soules** was just announcing the basketball games, or the basketball games are going to be practicing

Transcript Highlights:

• So there will be no interstate transportation of anything which is federally illegal.
• So there will be no interstate transportation of anything which is federally illegal.
• So there will be no interstate transportation of anything which is federally illegal.
• So there will be no interstate transportation of anything which is federally illegal.
• So there will be no interstate transportation of anything which is federally illegal.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Best practice is to support the vision for customer focus.
• and to retain retention practices.
• So those are kind of some other practices that are helping.
• And then we looked at what is that to practice in Florida?
• And if that any best practices that on something that's even best practices.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Best management practices for trail building dictate that sensitive environmental areas should be avoided
• <00:39:32.200> for change best management practices for change best management practices for
• 89 split the town in in three Interstate 89 split the town in in three pieces<00:44:39.480> so
• <00:44:47.800> median<00:44:48.400> so entirely in the interstate median so entirely
• in the interstate median so it's<00:44:48.760> between<00:44:49.119> the<00:44:49.240>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there a best practice where that mix should be in a certain place, and if so, how close are we here
• in Florida to being in line with the best practices in reference to making the investments in the right
• around the mix of generation type the fuel being generated by different types are like a best practice
• Have we ever thought about, I guess it would be interstate broadband, to where we made sure that our
• You know, throughout the interstate.

Summary: The committee heard introductory remarks from Chair LaMarca and members, then received presentations on electric utility planning, transportation infrastructure, and broadband deployment. Public Service Commission staff explained how Florida’s utilities plan for reliability and cost through 10-year site plans, demand forecasting, and economic dispatch. The presentation emphasized Florida’s residential-heavy load, growing EV demand, expanding solar and battery storage, continued reliance on natural gas combined-cycle plants, and the role of nuclear power. Members asked about energy efficiency, rates, renewable options beyond solar, cybersecurity, grid resilience, data centers, and small modular nuclear reactors; the witness said efficiency programs are reviewed every five years, utilities must balance reliability and affordability, and large new loads like data centers generally must pay for their own infrastructure needs. Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue described FDOT’s five-year work program, decentralized district structure, and funding mix, noting that the agency is predominantly state-funded and prioritizes maintenance and preservation before expansion. He highlighted record investment levels, major congestion-relief projects, toll-road revenues, seaport and airport partnerships, spaceport investments, workforce and equipment needs, and emerging technology such as advanced air mobility. Members asked about project timing, MPO planning, rail and ferry funding, airport governance, winter storm preparedness, and flooding/sea-level rise; Perdue said faster delivery depends on resources, local governments lead transit operations with FDOT as a capital partner, and coastal and drainage projects are designed around storm surge and resiliency. The Office of Broadband reported on six grant programs supporting infrastructure, community facilities, digital connectivity, and future digital capacity and broadband expansion. Director Leo Garcia said the office has awarded hundreds of millions of dollars across most counties, leveraged significant private investment, and focused heavily on rural areas. He noted that broadband efforts are intended to support telehealth, education, workforce development, and economic growth, and said the state has reduced the number of unserved locations from more than 400,000 to a projected 170,000 after current awards are completed. He also said the office needs additional budget authority for the upcoming digital capacity program and that the larger federal/state broadband deployment program will be used to reach remaining unserved and underserved areas.

Transcript Highlights:

• 230, introduced by Assembly Member Marzola, enacts the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate
• This Assembly bill ratifies and enters into the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact
• This Assembly bill ratifies and enters into the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact
• Health and Human Services, provides for priority review of certain applications for licensure to practice

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am Jennifer Brooks from the Office of Information Practices.
• I am Jennifer Brooks from the Office of Information Practices.
• <01:27:59.639> we the office of information practices we the office of information practices
• Years, they have stopped that practice.
• We should be aiming for zero, and we can do it using best practices.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. HB 655 would limit collection of unpaid motor vehicle taxes, fees, and penalties to the most recent five consecutive years of delinquency. The Department of Transportation opposed the bill, saying it could significantly affect state and county revenues and that the fiscal impact was hard to estimate. The Tax Foundation noted the bill would shorten the existing collection period, while an individual testifier supported it as a narrow measure that would help owners of old or inherited vehicles. In questioning, the department said it could not quantify the cost but suggested it would prefer case-by-case flexibility rather than a fixed five-year limit. HB 697 would authorize Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement personnel to inspect and certify evidence from automated speed enforcement systems and would appropriate funds for the program. The Department of Transportation supported the measure, citing the workload created by the red-light camera pilot and the need to assist police and prosecutors. The Department of the Attorney General supported the concept but recommended technical amendments so the verification language would apply consistently across the chapter and allow the appropriate reviewing entity to act. The committee also heard support from the AAHU Metropolitan Planning Organization and opposition from three individuals. HB 711 would require defendants convicted of causing the death of a parent or legal guardian of a minor child while driving under the influence to provide financial support to the surviving child. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing that criminal restitution must be tied to verified losses and that this type of long-term support is better handled in civil court, where trusts, conservatorships, and insurance claims can be addressed. The Department of Transportation supported the bill as a deterrent to impaired driving, and police, prosecutors, and an injury prevention group also submitted support. Members questioned whether the measure was better suited to civil litigation, and the public defender agreed that the civil system was the proper venue. HB 108 would allow direct shipment of beer and distilled spirits by certain licensees and require county liquor commissions to adopt rules. The Attorney General raised constitutional concerns, saying the bill’s different treatment of out-of-state manufacturers could violate the dormant Commerce Clause and recommended revisions. Brewers and distillers testified in support, saying the bill would put beer and spirits on a similar footing with wine direct shipment, help small producers reach consumers, and support the local economy without increasing underage access. They also said the bill should be amended to address grandfathering language. No final votes or committee actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so if an AV experiences a critical detachment or software freeze, it blocks a lane on an interstate
• It's all about interstate commerce. Yeah. Thank you. Looking to the members, not seeing any others.
• That you could do as a part of your hiring practice. That's right.
• I'm talking about ports, logistics, agriculture, manufacturing, interstate commerce.
• How do we see that it actually translates into practice?

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard an informational hearing on California’s newly finalized autonomous vehicle regulations, with DMV and CHP officials describing the updated framework and committee members pressing them on safety, enforcement, and first-responder impacts. DMV said the rules, effective April 28, 2026, expand reporting, create a phased permitting system from testing to deployment, add requirements for safety cases, remote operations, and first-responder coordination, and open a path for heavy-duty AV testing and deployment while still prohibiting oversized loads and hazardous materials. CHP said it worked with DMV on enforcement tools, first-responder interaction plans, and training local agencies on the new notice of noncompliance process. Members asked about crash data, immobilizations, freeway and construction-zone safety, weigh-station enforcement, and whether foreign licenses can qualify for remote assistants or drivers; DMV and CHP said the rules are intended to keep AVs accountable and that heavy-duty AVs will be held to the same roadway standards as human-driven commercial vehicles. A second panel focused on data collection and enforcement. Consumer attorneys argued the prior rules were too limited because DMV stopped collecting meaningful data once AVs moved from testing to deployment, making it difficult for the public and litigants to understand incidents; they supported the new regulations but urged that the collected information be made public. The industry association said California now has the nation’s most robust AV oversight, with monthly or quarterly reporting of collisions, system failures, immobilizations, harsh braking, vehicle miles traveled, and notices of noncompliance, plus broad DMV authority to restrict or suspend operations. In response to questions, the industry said it generally supports the new framework, believes the regulations are clear, and does not favor full federal preemption of state AV rules, though it wants federal standards for design, construction, and performance. A third panel addressed first-responder interaction and remote operations. The San Francisco Fire Department described repeated AV interference with emergency scenes and said AVs have generated hundreds of “sleeper calls,” where passengers fall asleep and trigger 911 responses; the department said these incidents consume significant staff time and it wants better protocols to reduce unnecessary dispatches. Waymo said it has trained thousands of public-safety personnel, maintains a 24/7 emergency line, uses geofencing/avoid-the-area messages, and can allow first responders to manually override or move vehicles when needed. Committee members asked about sleeper-call prevention, remote assistant licensing and drug testing, communication redundancies during outages, and how manual overrides work for vehicles without traditional controls; Waymo said it is collaborating with responders and that its vehicles are designed to reach a safe stop if connectivity is lost. The final panel began with testimony on heavy-duty autonomous vehicles. A transportation researcher said freight is essential to California’s economy and that heavy-duty AVs pose distinct safety risks because of their weight, stopping distance, and the potentially severe consequences of crashes or immobilizations on highways. He said the new regulations are important because they create a regulated pathway for heavy-duty AV deployment, require a safety case, set mileage thresholds, and add reporting categories that can serve as leading safety indicators. The hearing was still in progress when the transcript ended, with additional testimony expected from labor and industry witnesses on heavy-duty AV deployment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fentanyl smuggling happens every day within the borders of our country, on our interstates, on our Amtrak
• Spokane's supply chain follows similar patterns. moving drugs from Mexico along interstates I-19, I-10
• international or national transportation routes and through, like we said, rail, sea, air, and the interstates
• been able to track once again with our federal partners, it's all coming up from Mexico along the interstates
• proven-to-be best practices, and where are we at in terms of scaling that to the level that we would

Keywords: Coast Guard, maritime drug enforcement, illegal drugs, fentanyl crisis, legislative reforms, public testimony

Summary: The meeting of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation addressed critical issues surrounding maritime drug enforcement and the Coast Guard's role in stopping the influx of illegal drugs. The chairman highlighted the alarming consequences of current policies allowing drugs to cross borders, emphasizing the need for legislative reforms, such as the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025. There was an intense discussion regarding the operational challenges faced by the Coast Guard, which has recently made significant drug seizures, indicating progress but also revealing gaps that need addressing. Several witnesses, including victims of the drug crisis, shared their compelling testimonies, which underscored the urgency for stricter controls and comprehensive support for law enforcement agencies involved in drug interdiction efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• in good faith, but the problem is that us taking the good-faith language out of this legislation practically
• It is history that we get best practices from, and it's also history that we learn lessons that we should
• Senate Bill 400, a bill to be entitled: An act relating to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities
• Senate Bill 400 simply removes the repeal date of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities
• Senate Bill 400, a bill to be entitled: An act relating to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard several member introductions and recognitions, including awareness resolutions and visiting groups in the galleries. The chamber then moved to special order bills. Senate Bill 88 on utility terrain vehicles passed 32-5 after debate over allowing local governments to opt in to street use of UTVs under safety restrictions; Senator Smith opposed it over safety concerns. Senate Bill 102 on exceptional student education passed 36-0, creating a workforce credential/badge program for students with autism or on modified curricula; supporters emphasized employment opportunities and safety training, while Senator Davis raised concerns about added costs to school districts. Senate Bill 106 on exploitation of vulnerable adults passed 37-0, allowing alternative service on scammers through the same apps used to contact victims. Senate Bill 130 on compensation for victims of wrongful incarceration passed 38-0, extending filing deadlines and removing restrictive barriers; supporters called it a long-overdue justice fix. Senate Bill 158 on diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations passed 38-0, eliminating cost sharing for follow-up breast tests in the state employee health plan to encourage early detection. The most contentious measure was Senate Bill 234 on criminal offenses against law enforcement officers. The bill sought to clarify that violent resistance to officers is not justified by claims about the legality of the detention and to add manslaughter of a law enforcement officer to offenses carrying life imprisonment without release. An amendment by Senator Jones to restore “in good faith” language failed, after debate centered on due process, racial profiling, and the role of juries and suppression motions. Several senators spoke in support of law enforcement but objected to the bill’s breadth and mandatory life penalty; Senator Leek ultimately postponed the bill temporarily rather than taking a final vote. Senate Bill 262 on trust code technical changes passed 36-0. Senate Bill 274 designating roads for Harris Rosen and Geraldine Thompson passed 38-0, followed by a successful co-sponsorship motion and remarks honoring Thompson’s legacy. Senate Bill 280 on candidate qualification passed 38-0, creating an enforcement mechanism for party-affiliation filing requirements. Senate Bill 296 on middle and high school start times passed 38-0, repealing the statewide start-time mandate and shifting implementation decisions to local districts while requiring public reporting and discussion. Senate Bill 356 designating January 27 as Holocaust Remembrance Day also passed unanimously, with senators emphasizing remembrance, anti-Semitism, and the educational value of the memorial and observance.

Transcript Highlights:

• all practical purposes a rubber stamp. all practical purposes a rubber stamp.
• excluded from the practice. excluded from the practice.
• For ends the practice of making losers.
• installing a sound barrier on Interstate installing a sound barrier on Interstate 93<02:09:57.840
• along Interstate 93 is quite noticeable. along Interstate 93 is quite noticeable.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 776 is a modernization of Kentucky's Dental Practice Act.
• modernization of Kucky's Dental Practice modernization of Kucky's Dental Practice Act.<00:05:13.280
• And we had House Bill 776 relating to the practice of dentistry, also a yes. >> All right.
• <00:15:33.519> of<00:15:33.680> dentistry, the practice of dentistry, the practice
• the practice of dentistry. dentistry. dentistry.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Licensing and Occupations Committee met with a quorum and heard several licensing and regulatory bills. House Bill 565, presented by Rep. Myron Dossett with support from the Kentucky League of Cities and the Paducah Fire Department, would clarify and broaden the authority of “fire protection officials” so local fire officials, along with the state fire marshal, can enforce final orders and seek court enforcement locally. The sponsor described it as cleanup language to streamline fire code enforcement and improve efficiency. The bill passed unanimously. The committee then considered House Bill 776, a modernization of Kentucky’s Dental Practice Act, presented by Rep. Derek Lewis and Jeff Allen of the Kentucky Board of Dentistry, with Rep. Chad Hall also speaking in support. The bill updates definitions and board authority, revises licensure and renewal provisions, clarifies supervision and training rules for hygienists and assistants, updates telehealth standards, and preserves dentists’ authority over diagnosis and treatment planning. Members also discussed a provision allowing the board to use excess licensing funds for a scholarship to attract dentists to Kentucky. After questions about Medicaid access and a promised amendment removing certain ownership-related provisions, the bill passed unanimously. House Bill 657, presented by Rep. Stephanie Deetsz and Michelle Sanborn of the Children’s Alliance, would give five licensing boards the statutory authority needed to obtain FBI fingerprinting/ORI numbers for interstate compact compliance. The boards named were counseling, speech-language pathology and audiology, occupational therapy, social work, and psychology. Supporters said the bill simply updates Kentucky law to match current FBI fingerprint language. It passed unanimously. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 273, presented by Rep. Mike Klein and the Kentucky Board of Barbering. A committee substitute was adopted first. The bill reduces barber training hours from 1,500 to 1,200, allows 10-hour school days, shortens out-of-state licensure experience requirements from three years to one year, and makes other cleanup changes, including moving board compensation to regulation. Supporters said it would reduce barriers to entry and help address workforce shortages. The amended bill passed unanimously, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• planned turnpike from I-44 east to I-35 near Indian Hills Road and continuing east and north to Interstate
• plan, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is advancing the planned turnpike corridor extending from Interstate
• 44 East to Interstate 35 near Indian Hills Road and continuing east and north to Interstate 40 at Interstate
• 335 Kickapoo Turnpike to provide an additional safe high-speed connection between those major interstate
• 44 East to Interstate 35 near Indian Hills Road and continuing east and north to Interstate 40 at Interstate

Bills: SB1246, SB1510, SB1979, SB1929, SB1930, SB1976, HCR1019, SB1459, SB1673, SB1500, SB1447, SB1646, SB2007, SB1275, SB2074

Keywords: environmental permitting, Oklahoma, Department of Environmental Quality, public participation, regulatory framework, administered applications, energy, wind energy, financial assurance, property restoration, environmental regulation, mining, blasting, residential protection, buffer zone, Department of Mines, public utilities, electric transmission lines, landowner rights, payment regulations

Transcript Highlights:

• are trying to pass by on the interstate are trying to pass by on the interstate uh<00:15:40.320>
• about federal highway and interstate about federal highway and interstate programs<00:21:38.640>
• It's parallel with the interstate.
• So and we also back into the interstate.
• up all the way to the interstate up all the way to the interstate >> and<00:36:53.200>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on Transportation approved the minutes from its September 16 meeting and then heard a presentation from Jason Sawala, deputy state highway engineer with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, on rest areas and truck parking. He described Kentucky’s system of eight welcome centers, 14 rest areas, and four truck havens, and said the Cabinet spent just over $12 million in fiscal year 2025 to operate and maintain those facilities. He also explained that the Cabinet’s truck parking study found truck parking demand has increased 24% since 2012, driven by just-in-time delivery, stricter hours-of-service and electronic logging requirements, and fewer drivers. Sawala said the study looked not only at Cabinet-owned facilities but also private truck stops and lots, and identified unmet parking demand across the state, especially at 1:00 a.m. He noted that 11 sites, mostly existing rest areas, weigh stations, or welcome centers, were identified as promising expansion locations, with estimated project costs in the $30 million to $36 million range in 2022 dollars. He said the Cabinet is working on design and project development for those sites and is seeking federal funding opportunities where available. Members raised concerns about safety, congestion, and trucks parking on ramps or in residential areas, and several asked about funding, charging for parking, and whether autonomous vehicles might reduce future demand. Sawala said the 820 public rest-area spaces are marked spaces only, that he was not aware of any state charging for public truck parking, and that federal programs can help fund some expansions. He also said he was not aware of local-government parking programs offhand but would look into it. Members generally emphasized the importance of truck parking for safety, commerce, and avoiding burdens on local communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Together, these steps represent practical progress toward a more equitable transportation system, one
• extent practicable. extent practicable.
• <01:12:56.560> Commerce Um the FRSA and the Interstate Commerce Um the FRSA and the Interstate
• The study has a focus on best practices, recommendations, and commitments from industry.
• The study has a focus on best practices, recommendations, and commitments from industry.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all