Video & Transcript Research : 'TOPS'

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AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • It's hard to save on top of the cost of child care.
  • is another steep spike between '16 and '17, and I'll have to look at that, but I don't know off the top
  • I don't know that off the top of my head. I know there's two different age groups.
  • And then we think on top of that, we've probably layered some program requirements.
Summary: The committee first approved the prior meeting minutes, then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the report found that Arkansas moms want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing most mothers want full-time work, 69% identified child care costs as a barrier, and many said flexible hours were the most important workplace support. She also described county-level dashboard data, the high cost of infant and toddler care, and examples from working mothers about spending most or all of their paychecks on child care. Members asked questions about labor force participation trends, the meaning of the child care cost figures, and how flexibility could be implemented across industries. The presenter and members also discussed the broader economic-development impact of child care shortages and the need for public-private partnerships. The Department of Education then gave an update on early childhood programs. Officials said they are building internal dashboards to improve transparency and data access for school readiness assistance, including enrollment, application, and provider participation monitoring. They reported that the state is still moving forward with the CLASS transition and expects to release transition funding to providers in the coming weeks using Preschool Development Grant funds. They also clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work and that the data is FOIA-able. Officials warned providers about a temporary payment delay during the transition to a new system, saying payments will stop June 30 and resume around July 14, with any owed funds processed then. Members raised additional concerns about early childhood special education funding, overpayment recovery from a child care center, audit requirements for Head Start and SRA funds, the market rate survey, and the status of local leads after a recompete. Department staff said they would follow up on special education funding levels and audit rules, noted that the overpayment case is under appeal, and said the market rate survey is still in procurement. They also reported that 23 local leads will cover all counties starting July 1, with no major job-description changes, and described a new PDG Partners stakeholder group and an upcoming June 23 QRIS webinar to gather provider and parent input. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.
AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • It's hard to save on top of the cost of child care.
  • is another steep spike between '16 and '17, and I'll have to look at that, but I don't know off the top
  • I don't know that off the top of my head. I know there's two different age groups. Right.
  • some guidelines for federal requirements with audits for people taking SRA funds, and then we think on top
Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the research found Arkansas moms are working and want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing flexible hours were the most requested workplace support, 69% of moms identified child care costs as a barrier, and many families spend a large share of income on care. Members asked about labor force trends, what flexibility means in practice, and the cost and age structure of child care assistance programs. The presenter also noted child care affects economic development and workforce recruitment, and mentioned a Department of Commerce option that may help pay child care for people seeking training. Department of Education and Office of Early Childhood staff then gave updates on internal dashboards for enrollment, applications, and provider participation in School Readiness Assistance (SRA), saying the tools are now live for internal use and should improve transparency and data access. They said CLASS transition funding from the PDG grant would be released soon to providers who completed observations, and clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work. They also warned providers about a payment interruption during the transition to a new system: June 26 would be the last day to submit SRA payments for processing, payments would stop June 30, and billing would continue without processing from July 1 to 13, with back payments expected when the system resumes around July 14. Members raised concerns about provider cash flow, early childhood special education funding, an overpayment appeal involving a child care center, and whether CLASS data would be public; staff said the data is FOIA-able but not used by the department to set current quality or rates. The department also said it is reviewing audit requirements tied to Head Start and SRA, that Early Head Start children remained in their facilities after a closure, and that a market rate survey/cost analysis is still in procurement. Staff reported that the QRIS process will begin with a June 23 webinar and that CLASS will be part of a broader quality system still being developed with provider and parent input. They also said the local lead network was re-competed and will cover all counties starting July 1 with 23 local leads, and that the PDG partner group has been formed to provide ongoing stakeholder feedback. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Education Apr 29th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • Obviously, our residencies are very competitive, and our students are competing with other top universities
  • So when all of these companies are coming to Louisiana, they get the top jobs that are available, and
  • transparency to board approval and tenure-track faculty hiring, and to the selection of presidents and top
  • transparency to board approval and tenure-track faculty hiring, and to the selection of presidents and top
Summary: The House Education Committee met on April 29, 2026, with a quorum present and heard several higher education and K-12 bills. SB 234 by Sen. Presley, which would provide grading for medical school students, was briefly discussed and reported favorably without objection. SB 142 by Sen. Reese, dealing with continued management and oversight of Board of Regents support fund matched endowments if a related constitutional amendment passes, drew questions about endowment matching, oversight, and the roughly $75 million in unmatched requests; it was also reported favorably without objection. SB 482 by Sen. Reese, expanding the role of career coaches in middle and high school graduation planning and reporting on career development fund spending, received support from BESE and others, with committee members discussing counselor workload and district flexibility; it was reported favorably without objection. The committee then took up SB 64 by Sen. Hodges, which would require two people to review initial video/audio recordings from cameras in self-contained classrooms when complaints arise, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. HB 1063 by Rep. Owen, a broad higher education governance bill that would increase board oversight of curriculum, hiring, faculty senates, and discipline, generated extensive discussion and testimony from Rep. Owen and a representative of Parents Defending Education Action, but the author said he did not want to vote on it yet and moved to voluntarily defer it; the committee agreed without objection. HB 818 by Rep. Riser, as amended, was converted into a reporting bill requiring public inventories and state reporting on assessments, with Cynthia Posey of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers explaining the amendments; the committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably with one opposition card noted. Finally, SB 28 by Sen. McMath, carried by Rep. Carver, would lower the age for associate teachers from 25 to 21 to help address the teacher shortage; Department of Education staff said the change could expand the pipeline, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee also announced it would meet the following week on Wednesday, May 6, and then adjourned.
AR

Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE Apr 28th, 2026

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:
  • So we stay on top of our subgrantees.
  • We also conduct annual site visits, so we stay on top of our subgrantees to make sure that they are doing
  • So we stay on top of our subgrantees.
  • We also conduct annual site visits, so we stay on top of our subgrantees to make sure that they are doing
Summary: The committee considered and approved several temporary appropriation requests in Section B, including spending authority for the Court of Appeals to pay appointed counsel in criminal appeals, Commerce/Aeronautics airport and aviation grants, and Insurance Department items for workers’ compensation benefits and premium tax refunds. It also approved ARPA-related requests in Section C to return unused federal funds from DHS aging, mental health, substance abuse, and Older Americans Act grants. In Section D, the committee reviewed and approved Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests, including Agriculture grants for wildfire preparedness and forestry capacity, a large Commerce broadband BEAD request, environmental recycling-related reallocations, and Oil and Gas Commission grants for facility repairs and sample preservation. Members questioned the broadband program’s audit process and performance safeguards; the State Broadband Director said the funds are federal, subject to audits, and payments are released only after engineering certification of completed work. The committee also approved DHS reallocations in Section E, including major transfers within Medical Services from hospital medical appropriations to private and public nursing home lines, as well as transfers for children and family services, developmental disabilities, and youth services. The committee then reviewed cash fund requests, miscellaneous federal grants, pay plan and performance fund transfers, methods of finance, and a large set of contracts. A Northwest Arkansas Community College official explained storm-damage repairs and insurance settlement issues, and DHS explained its hospital medical transfer was moving excess appropriation rather than cash. Members also questioned several UAPB tobacco prevention subgrants, especially arts-based outreach, and asked for more data on effectiveness; the committee later voted to expunge and re-refer the J-2 item for further review at a later ALC meeting. Additional discussion covered a DEQ grant to Free Geek of Arkansas for e-waste recycling, a UAPB tobacco program, and various contracts for universities, DHS services, corrections, and public safety. The meeting ended with reports filed for information and a brief member comment thanking others for concern after a tornado in Stone County; no one was injured.
AR

Arkansas 2026 Regular Session

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE Apr 28th, 2026

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:
  • So we stay on top of our subgrantees.
  • We also conduct annual site visits, so we stay on top of our subgrantees to make sure that they are doing
  • So we stay on top of our subgrantees.
  • We also conduct annual site visits, so we stay on top of our subgrantees to make sure that they are doing
Summary: The committee heard a series of appropriation requests and contract reviews across multiple sections. In Section B, members approved temporary appropriations for the Court of Appeals, Commerce/Aeronautics, and Insurance-related payments and refunds. Section C ARPA requests from DHS were approved to return unused federal funds. Section D infrastructure-related appropriations, including wildfire preparedness, broadband BEAD funding, forestry support, recycling, and oil and gas sample preservation, were approved after questions about broadband audit controls and performance safeguards. Section E DHS reallocations were approved, including large transfers within Medical Services from hospital medical to private and public nursing home lines, along with smaller transfers for children and family services, developmental disabilities, and youth services; members asked about the source and purpose of the medical services transfer. Sections F and G were reviewed, covering cash fund requests, federal grants, and miscellaneous grants, including community college storm repairs, corrections commissary and maintenance, 911 enhancements, maternal health, disability determinations, state police equipment, digital newspaper archiving, and CDL data improvements. In Section H, the committee reviewed pay plan appropriations and performance fund transfers tied to the new Class and Comp pay plan. Section I reviewed three methods of finance for UA Little Rock, UAMS, and the University of Arkansas system. In Section J, the committee reviewed discretionary grants, including a $1.4 million HIV services grant and nine tobacco prevention subgrants through UAPB. Members questioned the effectiveness, metrics, and addresses of some tobacco-cessation arts-based grantees, especially Arts Absolutely Inc.; after discussion, Representative Kavanaugh moved to expunge the vote on J2 and refer it back for review at a later ALC meeting, and that motion passed. J3, a Department of Energy and Environment grant for propane safety training and e-waste recycling services, was then reviewed. The committee also reviewed contracts in Section K. K-1 ratified emergency management nuclear planning work performed during a transition between agencies. K-2 construction contracts included architectural and engineering services for corrections, National Park College signage, a Razorback Road parking facility, and UAMS cyclotron installation. K-3 intergovernmental contracts covered health, education, autism waiver, stroke, newborn screening, Medicaid evidence review, and radiation testing services. K-4 out-of-state contracts included staffing, IT, tobacco prevention, audit, marketing, planetarium, recruitment, and janitorial services; Senator Irvin noted one contract appeared to belong in the out-of-state list rather than intergovernmental. K-5 in-state contracts covered staffing, cleaning, re-entry and treatment services, foster care and disability services, hearing officers, asbestos abatement, campus IT support, and janitorial work. The meeting ended after a brief personal update from Senator Irvin about tornado damage in Stone County and thanks to members for their concern, followed by adjournment.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • stepped onto the national stage by launching the Quantum Computing Initiative, earning recognition as a top
  • germane to today's hearing, is the excellence of its institutions of higher education, with seven in the top
  • Jermaine to today's hearing is the excellence of its institutions of higher education with seven in the top
  • of the most significant markers of academic research and excellence, as well as one of the nation's top
Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to continue confirmation hearings, but the chair announced the committee would not present its budget that day and would instead roll it out the following week in coordination with House partners and Senate notice requirements. After a quorum was confirmed, the committee discussed how it would handle a large number of university board appointments, noting that some reappointments would be grouped for a block vote while others could be heard individually if members requested it. The committee then heard testimony from a series of appointees and reappointees to university boards. Florida A&M University nominees Roderick Harris, Victor Young, and Rafael Vasquez emphasized service to FAMU, student success, and support for the university’s national standing; Harris highlighted his FAMU background and faculty experience, Young cited his business and health care leadership, and Vasquez described scholarship support through his company. Florida Atlantic University appointees Linda Stock and Thomas Mersh focused on servant leadership, research growth, entrepreneurship, and FAU’s recent R1 designation and quantum computing initiatives. University of Central Florida reappointee Alex Martins discussed UCF’s preeminence goal, workforce needs, and strong nursing outcomes. The committee also heard from Florida Gulf Coast University appointees James Gris-Mall, Douglas Van Orte, Robert Rommel, Sarah Partial Perry, and reappointment Joseph Fogg, who spoke about workforce development, affordability, student success, water and nursing programs, and FGCU’s role in regional economic growth. University of South Florida reappointee Rogan Donnelly highlighted USF’s AAU status, research growth, and workforce-focused programs. Members and the chair responded positively throughout, praising the universities’ achievements and the nominees’ qualifications. At the end of the hearing, the committee voted by block on all nominees in tabs 2 through 13 and recommended them for confirmation without objection. The meeting then adjourned.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Poll workers will become a top<00:04:41.040> one-stop<00:04:41.440> shop<00:04:41.680><
  • c> for<00:04:41.919> voters, top one-stop shop for voters, top one-stop shop for voters, eliminating
  • Hardware replacement is at the top.
Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met to hear an update from the State Board of Elections on its Bluegrass Books electronic poll book system. Rachel Pointer and Richard House described the project as an in-house modernization effort intended to improve security, customization, integration with the voter registration system, reduce voter wait times, streamline supplemental and provisional ballot processing, and provide year-round local support to county clerks and poll workers. They emphasized that the system is already a working product, not just a concept, and showed a workflow demonstration of voter lookup, signature capture, ballot issuance, manual lookup, and handling voters who have already voted. The agency also outlined the financial rationale for the project, saying the state currently lacks dedicated funding for replacing the iPads used for election-day poll books and that counties now bear vendor maintenance and support costs. Under Bluegrass Books, the state would seek to cover hardware replacement, maintenance, and on-site support through future appropriations, potentially using bulk purchasing to lower costs. When asked about the size of the appropriation request, the presenters said it was not yet finalized but noted roughly 7,000 devices are deployed statewide and replacement would likely be phased rather than done all at once. Members asked about security and whether the e-poll book could affect vote totals. The Board explained that the e-poll book is separate from ballot casting, that voting machines themselves are not connected to the internet, and that the poll book is networked only to update check-ins and prevent double voting. They said the device is locked down to the poll book application and can operate offline until connectivity returns. A member also asked how to recruit more poll workers; the response suggested higher pay is the main incentive, along with outreach to schools, community colleges, and possible pilot programs involving professionals. The meeting concluded without any votes or formal action beyond approval of minutes, and the next meeting was announced for January 29, weather permitting.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Informational interview with Rep. Nathan Coulter (DFL-Bloomington) Jan 6th, 2026

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, you know, I think for me that the top of the list is going to be child care again.
  • Um you know I I think for me that the<00:07:57.039> the<00:07:57.680> top<00:07:57.840>
  • 58.319> is<00:07:58.560> going<00:07:58.639> to<00:07:58.800> be the the top
  • of the list is going to be the the top of the list is going to be child<00:07:59.280> care<00
Keywords: 919, house, all
Summary: The discussion focused on several policy areas the legislator expects to work on in 2026, especially higher education, child care, and government trust issues. On higher education, she said the committee will likely remain budget-heavy but she hopes to expand the North Star Promise program to more middle-income Minnesotans, noting the current $80,000 income cutoff is below the state median and that the program has been a “game changer” for enrollment and access. She also revisited House File 2617, a child care licensing bill that did not advance in full but had some pieces included in the children and families budget. She described it as an effort to modernize licensing so providers are treated more like educators, with less focus on rigid rules and more on helping them focus on children’s care and development while still maintaining safety. She said child care remains her top issue for 2026, along with broader affordability concerns such as food, rent, mortgage payments, health insurance, and prescription drugs. The conversation also touched on a bill she has to impose a one-year waiting period before former legislators can register as lobbyists, which she framed as a perception and trust issue rather than a legal conflict of interest. She said the goal is to reassure the public that lawmakers are serving constituents rather than preparing for lobbying jobs after leaving office. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in this interview-style discussion.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

November 19, 2025 - 04:00 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • HANDY AND CAN ENROLL IF THEY HAVE MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY, IF THEY NEED TO GAIN MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY, THAT TOP
  • I'M EXPECTING THE TOP BAR TO GRAB YOUR ATTENTION AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT ARE A SMALL NUMBER FOR BEHAVIORAL
  • THAT TOP ONE IS A STANDARD SURVEY DONE FOR MANAGED CARE PLANS TO FIND OUT A LOT OF THINGS.
  • THAT TOP ONE IS A STANDARD SURVEY DONE FOR MANAGED CARE PLANS TO FIND OUT A LOT OF THINGS.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

Senate - Finance Nov 10th, 2025

Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • I believe we're in like the top 10 or top 15 states in terms of error rates.
  • Top 10 or 15 for error rate. Is there any fines or is there any penalty to the state for that? Mr.
  • Chair, just the last thing is I believe New Mexico is in the top five. Mr.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • So, um, I think as we look deeper and finally publicly into this case, we will find, top to bottom, um
  • case<00:08:27.520> we<00:08:27.759> will<00:08:28.000> find<00:08:28.800> top
  • <00:08:29.039> to<00:08:29.280> bottom<00:08:30.319> um this case we will find top
  • to bottom um this case we will find top to bottom um that<00:08:30.960> it<00:08:31.199> was
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: The meeting began with roll call, where a quorum was confirmed, and the commission approved the July 8, 2025 minutes. The staff report was deferred to later in the agenda. The commission then took up a consolidated matter involving case numbers 24 LEC 3 and 24 LEC 6, centered on a pending motion to dismiss and a response that had been filed. Counsel for Representative Grossberg argued the case should be dismissed because the attorney handling the matter, Mr. Jenkins, allegedly lacked a properly approved contract under government contract review requirements. She also argued that the complaint process was flawed, that complainants relied on rumor and anonymous assertions, and that the matter reflected political retaliation and abuse of process. She said a renewed motion to dismiss had been filed and requested a hearing date and briefing schedule. Enforcement counsel responded that he had been authorized to proceed by the commission, that the contract issue had been disclosed before the preliminary hearing, and that the cited cases did not support dismissal. The chair allowed limited rebuttal, after which the parties clarified their positions on whether Mr. Jenkins had been authorized to act as enforcement counsel and for what period. The commission then voted to go into executive session under KRS 61.810 to discuss and deliberate the pending motion and any confidential complaints. The motion passed, and the meeting moved into closed session.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Ways and Means Committee 5/7/25

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • They don't overpay their top people.
  • They don't overpay their top people.
  • They don't overpay their top people.
  • They don't overpay their top people.
Bills: HF2436, HF2435
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Government and Veterans Affairs Apr 9th, 2025 at 11:01 am

Government and Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • So the next change I see coming up is on the top of page 25. Top of page 25, general prohibitions.
  • This top fee is $200. So you'd... So, like, okay, so it's $200. This top fee is $200.
Bills: SB2156
Summary: The subcommittee met to review HB 2156, which reorganizes North Dakota campaign finance disclosure law by repealing Chapter 16.1 and moving the provisions into a new Chapter 16.2 with mostly technical cross-reference updates. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State’s office walked through the bill section by section, explaining that most language is carried over from current law, with some cleanup to definitions, reporting requirements, public access rules, and filing procedures. The committee discussed how the new chapter would apply to candidates, candidate committees, political committees, political parties, ballot measure groups, and conduits. Several substantive issues were raised and adjusted during the discussion. Members questioned the open-records language for expenditures and contributions over $250, the use of “deposit” versus “receipt” as the reporting trigger, and whether the 48-hour supplemental reporting deadline should be changed to three calendar days; the group ultimately favored keeping 48 hours and using “deposit” consistently. They also clarified reporting dates, including changing one special-election deadline from 40 days to 39 days, and confirmed that balances of campaign funds would be reported but not made publicly available. The Secretary of State’s office also explained that the bill would make late fees public and that the chapter-wide penalty for willful violations remains a Class A misdemeanor. The main policy change debated at length was the late-filing fee schedule. Members expressed concern that the existing penalties were too low to deter intentional non-filers, and after discussion the committee agreed to increase the final late fee from $100 to $500 while keeping the new public posting of delinquent filers. The committee also reviewed an inflation-adjustment provision for reporting thresholds and the “ultimate true source of funds” language, which was described as existing law being carried into the new chapter. The meeting ended with the understanding that additional drafting changes would be made and that the bill would be ready for further committee action later in the week.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Business and Professions Committee Apr 1st, 2025

Business and Professions

Transcript Highlights:
  • I accept the committee amendments just off the top.
  • Consent calendar is out with 14 votes, now let's, why don't we start from the top and let members, well
  • And now Madam Secretary, when you At your leisure, just let's take it from the top.
  • Madam Secretary, please start from the top for folks to add on.
Keywords: 988, house, all
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • In fact, it's this one and another bill you're going to hear later today that are the top two priorities
  • Well, let's start at the top. Harris County. Dallas County. My county. Bexar County. Bexar.
  • And on top of that, we need to get involved in the federal government.
  • Start at the top. That's right. Maybe a friendly amendment might be in order. Never mind.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government (Part I) Mar 24th, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • In fact, it's this and another bill you're going to hear later today are the top two priorities of our
  • Well, let's start at the top. Harris County, Harris, Dallas County, my county, Bear County.
  • And on top of that, I assume that our auditor would need additional resources in order to do this.
  • Start at the top. Maybe a friendly amendment might be in order. Never mind.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

House - Appropriations and Finance Mar 20th, 2025

House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • How do we balance that and bring that number up so we're not at the top, but start making that adjustment
  • That's correct, in the transportation section, they also added some for the rural air service on top
  • repayment for physicians, so with the other amount you, you'd have even more for loan repayment on top
  • The Attorney General and I had long conversations with judges, uh, and so I do not remember off the top
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

Agriculture committee hears HF821 3/17/25

Transcript Highlights:
  • I wish I had those answers at the top of my head. I don't, unfortunately.
  • those<00:07:38.800> answers<00:07:39.160> at<00:07:39.319> the<00:07:39.479> top
  • of<00:07:39.759> my<00:07:39.960> head<00:07:40.319> I those answers at the top
  • of my head I those answers at the top of my head I don't<00:07:40.919> unfortunately<00:07:41.919
Keywords: 1183, house
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Education Mar 6th, 2025

Public Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • If your school was fully funded and you could decide what to do with the money, what top two things would
  • increase teacher pay, if you know how the TRS system works, because it's based upon. on an average of your top
  • five years or top three years with over a five-year interval. is gonna increase the benefit when the
  • Representing Telerico or vice-chair Bernal if you all recall I I don't recall off the top of my head
Bills: HB2, HB2
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • As you'll probably know, even some of their top leaders that need to be Senate-confirmed still are awaiting
  • certainly seen an increase in this type of activity in recent years, and I would consider this. one of our top
  • Sitting on top of it, the oil that they've stolen.
  • they're hauling, had no clue, and of course common sense would tell you that oil's going to float on top
Bills: SB766, SB290, SB494, SB1145