Congress has passed the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act that would cut red tape and enable veterans to obtain their CDLs more easily. The bill cleared the House by voice vote on Sept. 25 and previously passed the Senate unanimously. It now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
“When the brave men and women in our armed forces return home, the last thing they should have to worry about is red tape preventing them from achieving the American dream that they fought to defend,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “Improving veterans’ access to CDL programs will open the door of opportunity to good-paying, in-demand jobs in the trucking industry. We are appreciative of the leadership by Senators Fischer and Padilla and Representatives Edwards and Pappas on this important bill, which will help veterans secure rewarding careers and alleviate the truck driver shortage.”
Currently, if an approved trucking school opens a secondary facility in a new location, the law requires the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and state regulators to deny the branch’s ability to receive GI benefits for two years.
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The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act would remove this arbitrary roadblock by allowing veterans to use their GI Bill benefits at new branches of commercial driver training schools immediately, provided the primary institutions have already been approved by the VA and State Approving Agencies to receive GI benefits.
The ATA-endorsed bill is a win-win that will enable more veterans to receive the training they need to obtain high-paying careers in the trucking industry after they have completed their military service, and it will expand the trucking industry’s access to this exceptional pool of talent.
The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act was introduced by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) and Alex Padilla (D-California) and Representatives Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina) and Chris Pappas (D-New Hampshire).
