Senate Passes Legislation Supporting Veterans in Obtaining CDLs
The U.S. Senate has shown a promising step towards making it easier for military veterans to get commercial driver’s licenses.
The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023 got unanimous support on Thursday after it moved out of the Committee on Veterans Affairs. It aims to help veterans in getting a CDL, especially in using their GI Bill benefits.
With the backing of the American Trucking Associations and the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, the act wants to remove the mandatory two-year waiting time that certain CDL schools impose on veterans who want to join. Currently, veterans can’t enroll in CDL courses at some institutions that have been operating for less than two years, as set by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The proposed law wants to get rid of this wait time, so the VA can approve CDL programs for veterans at newly established schools, as long as they have the right state licenses and follow the same curriculum as the approved primary institutions. This is meant to make it easier for veterans to access CDL training and careers.
Some Officials Concerned About Training and Safety for Veterans
While the Senate gave its full support, there are concerns in the U.S. House of Representatives. During a recent House veterans affairs subcommittee meeting, Joseph Westcott, the legislative director for the National Association of State Approving Agencies, had reservations about the current version of the bill. He said it might put veteran protections at risk that are provided by the two-year waiting period.
According to Westcott, the waiting period is there to stop veterans from joining poor-quality truck driving schools that might not have a stable environment or a good curriculum. He warned that the current wording of the bill only requires an institution to offer a similar curriculum to a state-approved one elsewhere in the country. This could lead to the quick approval of branch campuses without proper checking.
Chairman Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., acknowledged Westcott’s concerns and stressed the importance of finding a compromise. He highlighted how crucial the truck driving profession is for veterans and promised to work together to address the concerns raised by state approval agencies, especially regarding branch schools close to state borders.
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