Legislation Advances to Ease Process for Military Personnel to Obtain Commercial Driver Licenses
Legislation that would facilitate access for military personnel to obtain commercial driver licenses was easily advance by a House panel in May.
Under the Active Duty Voluntary Acquisition of Necessary Credentials for Employment, or ADVANCE, Act, current military service members and reservists would have access to the training and testing standards for commercial driver licenses for veterans under the 2015 FAST Act highway law.
The provision in the FAST Act applied only to certain veterans.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), was approved by the House and Transportation Committee by voice vote. It now heads to the House floor for consideration.
“This is a common-sense measure that will help our brave men and women find work here,” Aguilar said May 24. “While we hear every day that Washington is broken and compromised by partisan gridlock, we can clearly see that there are issues that both parties can get behind. This is about helping our heroes find job opportunities in our communities. I look forward to working with my colleagues in congress to see this bill through.”
Trucking industry executives have sought to improve how they connect with the skills of military personnel when they are no longer on active duty. American Trucking Associations was among the groups to endorse Aguilar’s legislation.
“The trucking industry’s commitment to our service men and women is already strong, and we are working everyday to strengthen that,” said ATA president Chris Spear. “We are proud of our continued support for the Hiring Our Heroes initiative, as well as legislation like the ADVANCE Act that would make it easier for current service members to pursue careers as professional drivers.”
