House Transportation Committee advances CDL, broadband relocation, Parkway signage, ag license-plate, towing and DBE regulation items

The House Transportation Committee reported several bills with favorable expression and reviewed an administrative regulation during its meeting.

Top-line actions included advancing changes to commercial driver licensing that align state reporting with federal law and broaden certain hazardous-material endorsements for intrastate drivers ages 18–20; a proposal to clarify utility-relocation reimbursement to include cable and broadband providers; a move to extend Hal Rogers Parkway signage east to U.S. 23 to support four-laning efforts; creation of a new agriculture “friend of agriculture” specialty license plate whose revenue would fund 4‑H and FFA programs; and a cleanup bill to strengthen consumer protections around towing and storage. Committee staff and cabinet representatives also briefed the committee on an amendment to Kentucky’s disadvantaged-business-enterprise (DBE) regulation to align with USDOT rules (49 CFR parts 23 and 26).

Why it matters: the measures affect transportation safety, infrastructure funding eligibility, broadband deployment costs tied to road projects, and consumer protections. The DBE regulation alignment is required to maintain federal conformity for federal-aid transportation programs.

Commercial driver licensing: committee advances Kentucky statutory updates to match federal reporting and allow certain hazardous-material endorsements for intrastate drivers aged 18–20. Representative John Blanton, sponsor of the consolidated measure (committee substitute combining elements of two bills), told the committee the bill “brings Kentucky statutes in line with the federal statutes when it comes to reporting.” The committee substitute also folded in provisions that would permit holders of Class A, B, or C commercial driver licenses (CDLs) aged 18–20 to receive a hazardous-material endorsement for intrastate carriage, while preserving prohibitions on school-bus operation and interstate transport for that group. Representative Dawson said the change would help agricultural communities where younger drivers move fertilizer and other farm inputs.

Utility relocation and broadband: committee seeks to update decades-old statute to recognize cable and broadband providers when roads force utility relocations. Ellen Call of Charter Communications said the proposed language would ensure “cable operators and broadband providers shall be afforded the same rights as public utilities to be reimbursed, for any sort of forced relocation, connected to, highway projects.” Committee members were told the transportation cabinet would retain discretion on whether to reimburse in any given case. Representative Lyman and others asked about current practice and the cabinet’s decision process; the bill’s sponsors said the statute has not been updated since the 1960s and that reimbursement currently is inconsistent.

Hal Rogers Parkway signage: panel advances measure to move eastern terminus signage to U.S. 23 in Prestonsburg. Representative John Blanton described House Bill 443 as a “very simple piece of legislation” that moves the eastern signage of the Hal Rogers Parkway farther east along Kentucky Route 80 to U.S. 23 in Prestonsburg so that already four‑laned miles can be included when seeking federal funding to four‑lane the corridor between London and Hazard.

Agriculture specialty license plate (HB 157): committee adopts substitute and advances the bill. Representative Ken Upchurch presented House Bill 157, described as an agriculture “friend” plate to broaden access for supporters who cannot qualify for the current farm plate. Brandon Reed, identified as working with the Department of Agriculture, said the new plate would deposit proceeds into the same fund used by the existing farm tag to support 4‑H, FFA and other Department of Agriculture programs. Reed told the committee the existing farm tag “last year just hit under a million dollars” and that the new plate’s revenue impact is uncertain.

Towing and storage consumer-protection cleanup (HB 493): committee advances a cleanup to the predatory-towing statute. Representative Michael “Sarge” Pollock presented House Bill 493, describing it as a cleanup and small changes to existing statute intended to improve transparency and enforcement after the 2019 law addressing predatory towing. Anne Marie Franklin of Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance testified in support and committee members praised the consumer-protection focus.

Administrative regulation review (600 KAR 4:010): committee reviews DBE/ACDBE rule alignment with USDOT. John Johnson, assistant general counsel at the transportation cabinet, and Tony Yousef, executive director of the Office for Civil Rights and Small Business Development, briefed the panel. Yousef said the amendments were necessary to align Kentucky’s definitions and appeal process with USDOT’s DBE/ACDBE program and federal changes in 49 CFR parts 23 and 26.

Votes at a glance: - House Bill 444 (CDL statute updates and committee sub combining HB 436 elements): Reported with favorable expression (committee substitute attached). - House Bill 682 (utility relocation / broadband providers): Reported with favorable expression. - House Bill 443 (Hal Rogers Parkway signage extension): Reported with favorable expression. - House Bill 157 (agriculture specialty license plate; committee substitute adopted earlier in the meeting): Reported with favorable expression with committee substitute attached. - House Bill 493 (towing and storage consumer-protection cleanup): Reported with favorable expression. - Administrative regulation 600 KAR 004:010 (DBE certification): Committee reviewed; record reflects committee review and staff/subcommittee review.

Next steps: each bill reported with favorable expression will be transmitted from committee as advanced; the administrative regulation record shows committee review consistent with alignment to federal USDOT nomenclature. The meeting minutes and materials referred to during testimony are posted to the committee meeting materials tab, per the committee’s opening remarks.