Panel OKs bill letting highway interest support workforce-training grants

Senators reviewed House Bill 1782, which would permit interest earnings on highway revenue to be used for transportation-related research and workforce-development grants. Gil Rogers of the Arkansas Department of Transportation said the existing competitive grant program (about $500,000 annually) would add "workforce development" as an eligible category so institutions beyond engineering schools could apply.

Rogers described the program as competitive and administered by ARDOT with awards recommended to the highway commission. He cited a recent grant to Arkansas State University as an example of prior awards. Senator English and others asked how applicants are notified and whether the pot size is fixed; Rogers said application notices, deadlines and forms are public and ARDOT aims to award up to the full available amount if projects meet criteria.

Sponsors said the change would support an asphalt-paving workforce-training program at a community college and create a pipeline of trained workers for road-construction trades. Committee members raised concerns about coordination of multiple, similar grant programs across state agencies; sponsors said coordination is desirable but complicated by constitutional independence of ARDOT and differences among funding pots.

The committee voted to advance HB 1782 after questions and discussion.