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…