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Veterans Commercial License Bill Advances in U.S. Senate

On Behalf of | Jul 15, 2017 | Commercial Licenses

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Veterans Commercial License application process is one step closer to being streamlined. The Jobs for Our Heroes Act passed the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation last week. It now goes to the full Senate for a vote.

Senators Laud the Bill

“Many servicemen and women [drove] large military vehicles and want to carry over that expertise into their civilian careers,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation makes it easier for veterans to utilize their military training to obtain a commercial drivers license. I’m glad the Senate Commerce Committee has moved forward on this commonsense bill.”

“Veterans who have the training and experience to operate heavy trucks and buses under tough conditions in the military have the skills needed to drive trucks on our highways,” Sen. Warren said. “This bipartisan bill will remove legal obstacles delaying service-members from getting commercial drivers’ licenses. I’m glad the Committee approved the bill. I hope Congress passes it soon – this is a straightforward fix that will benefit veterans looking for good jobs and that will help employers looking for talented employees.”Veterans’ Commercial License Efforts

Last week’s action capped a two-year-plus effort. Senators hope to make the Veterans Commercial License easier to obtain by giving them “credit” for driving similar vehicles in the military.

Veterans Commercial License Efforts

On December 4, 2015, then President Obama signed into law the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. The FAST Act contained a provision exempting veterans from commercial driving tests if they had military driving experience with similar vehicles. It also counted military training as credit towards the commercial license requirements.

The exemption, however, applied only to veterans and not to active duty service members or reservists. To remedy this omission, the Department of Transportation authorized states for two years similarly to exempt active-duty service members and reservists. The Jobs for Our Heroes Act would make that two-year exemption permanent.