House Passes Pappas’s Bipartisan Bill to Increase Opportunities for Veterans, Address Trucking Shortage

Yesterday the House passed Congressman Chris Pappas’s (NH-01)Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023 with bipartisan, unanimous support. This bipartisan legislation will eliminate red tape that excludes veterans from accessing commercial driver-education programs using their GI Bill benefits. It has passed the Senate and is headed to the President’s desk for his signature.

The legislation would exempt new branches of established commercial driver-training facilities from the statutory two-year waiting period to accept GI Bill benefits if the primary training facility has already been approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and state approving agencies to receive those benefits.

“Removing an arbitrary two year wait for veterans to use their GI benefits to obtain a commercial driving license is common sense and will help address the current truck driver shortage,” said Congressman Pappas, member of House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This bipartisan legislation will cut red tape for veterans to acquire a commercial driving license, increasing opportunities for veterans and supporting our supply chains and economy. I urge the President to sign it into law quickly.”

Background:

• The statutory “two-year rule” requires new branches of an already-approved training facility to wait two years before accepting GI Bill benefits.
• Veterans who want to obtain their commercial driver licenses (CDLs) can face barriers to attending a commercial driver-education program, particularly if they live in a rural area, as they may have to travel long distances or wait two years to attend the closest training facility so that they are able to use their GI Bill benefits.
• The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023 requires the new branch of a training facility to teach the same curriculum as the already-approved facility and to meet annual reporting requirements during the two-year exemption period. The VA secretary is also authorized to revoke the exemption from the facility at any time.

This bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the following Veteran Service Organizations (VSO): the American Legion, Moving Veterans Forward, Student Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Great Plains Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Nebraska Military Officers Association of America. It is also endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Werner Trucking, the American Trucking Association, the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, the Nebraska Trucking Association, and the Truckload Carriers Association.