Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously passed Congressman Darin LaHood's (IL-16) bipartisan Licensing Individual Commercial Exam-takers Now Safely and Efficiently (LICENSE) Act. The LICENSE Act would streamline burdensome licensing regulations by making permanent several waivers that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented in response to COVID-19.
LaHood introduced the bill in April with U.S. Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Jim Costa (D-CA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Josh Harder (D-CA) as co-leads of the legislation. During the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee mark-up, Rep. Johnson submitted a letter for the record from Rep. LaHood in support of the legislation.
“Trucking workforce shortages continue to be a persistent challenge for small businesses throughout America, and the downstream effects are harming working families," said Rep. LaHood. "As we face unprecedented supply chain challenges, this legislation will help streamline the process to obtain a commercial driver’s license and reduce unnecessary red tape. I am pleased that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has passed this commonsense legislation and hope to see it come before the full House for a vote soon."
Background:
The bill would allow state and third-party examiners who have maintained a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) test examiner certification and have previously completed a CDL skills test examiner training course to administer the CDL knowledge test without completing a CDL knowledge test training course. The continued availability of CDL knowledge testing will help maintain an adequate and sustained supply of trained truck drivers.
The bill also would allow states to administer driving skills tests to applicants from other states. This will streamline the credentialing process and allow future truck drivers to be tested where they live, rather than solely where they received training.
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