The “Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act” Would Cut Red Tape for CDL Schools & the Veterans They Serve

This Bipartisan Legislation Now Heads to the President’s Desk to be Signed Into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday unanimously passed bipartisan legislation U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger helped lead to cut red tape for Veterans looking to use their GI benefits to pay for commercial driver’s license (CDL) education programs — sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

Right now, if an approved trucking school opens a secondary facility in a new location, existing laws require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and state regulators to deny the branch’s ability to receive GI benefits for two years.

To shrink this wait time, the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act would exempt new branches of established commercial driver-training facilities from this statutory waiting period if the primary training facility has been approved to receive these benefits by the VA and state approving agencies. By clarifying this two-year moratorium statute, the bill would allow veterans more accessibility to nearby CDL schools and lead to high-paying careers in the industry. Under this legislation, CDL schools must still comply with state and VA rules regarding curriculum standards to ensure no programs are exploiting Veterans or offering fraudulent courses.

“Veterans who want to hit the road and enter the trucking workforce should not be met with arbitrary wait times and burdensome red tape. As America’s trucking industry is working to recruit qualified drivers to keep goods flowing, shelves stocked, and our economy strong, burdensome restrictions should not be keeping Americans out of the sector who have the skills, work ethic, and desire to hop in the driver’s seat,” said Spanberger. “I’m proud to see so many of my colleagues support this commonsense fix. Once signed into law, our bipartisan legislation will make sure the GI benefits earned by our Veterans can be used to get their CDL from a quality program and get a high-paying civilian job.”

The Spanberger-spearheaded bill is endorsed by several nationwide Veteran Service Organizations, labor groups, and trucking industry leaders. These groups include the Virginia Trucking Association, American Trucking Associations, American Legion, Moving Veterans Forward, Student Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Great Plains Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, Nebraska Military Officers Association of America, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, Nebraska Trucking Association, and Werner Trucking.

“Virginia has the fastest growing Veteran labor force in the United States, and the trucking industry offers them high-paying jobs when they leave military service,” said Dale Bennett, President & CEO, Virginia Trucking Association. “This bipartisan legislation will improve access to the CDL training Veterans need to quickly enter the trucking workforce and continue their service to our country as professional truck drivers.”

“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 realizing the American dream that they fought to defend,” said Chris Spear, President & CEO, American Trucking Associations. “Improving veterans’ access to CDL programs will open the door of opportunity to good-paying, in-demand jobs in the trucking industry.”

“This commonsense legislation helps reduce the barriers that veterans face in getting high-quality training for good paying truck driving careers,” said Jerome Redmond, Chairman, Commercial Vehicle Training Association. “Because of their extensive training, exceptional professionalism, and mission-focused approach, veterans are ideal candidates to join the trucking workforce. The relief provided under this bipartisan proposal will give veterans additional choices when seeking out professional truck driving careers.”

The bipartisan bill is led by U.S. Representatives Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11) and Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) — and Spanberger is an original cosponsor alongside U.S. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02). A companion bill is led in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Alex Padilla (D-CA).

BACKGROUND

Spanberger has consistently worked to address the trucking workforce shortage in Virginia and across the country. In March 2023, Spanberger reintroduced her bipartisan bill to establish a refundable income tax credit for qualified commercial truck drivers.

And since arriving in Congress, Spanberger has been committed to honoring the sacrifices of Virginia’s Veterans — while also making sure they have the resources, training, and skills they need to succeed in the workplace. In 2022, the President signed into law Spanberger’s Computers for Veterans and Students Act. This law provides federal surplus and repairable computers to non-profit computer refurbishers — who can then repair and distribute these computers to Veterans, students, and seniors in need.

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