STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman MICHAEL TORRISSI, JR.
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Directs DOLWD to establish “Entry-Level Driver Training Grant Program.”
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing an “Entry-Level Driver Training Grant Program” and supplementing P.L.1990, c.103 (C.39:3-10.9 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall establish an “Entry-Level Driver Training Grant Program” which shall be operated by the department in conjunction with the Motor Vehicle Commission and shall provide reimbursements to State-based employers, employer consortiums, and non-profits that provide entry-level, commercial driver training or that provide entry-level, commercial driver license training in partnership with a certified, third-party training provider located within the State.
b. The department, in conjunction with the Motor Vehicle Commission, shall develop requirements under the program for applicants to meet in order to receive reimbursement, which shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) being certified with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry prior to reimbursement;
(2) providing training that meets the minimum federal standards that entry-level drivers are required to complete before being permitted to take certain commercial driver license skills or knowledge tests;
(3) providing documentation that each driver has that driver’s training certification uploaded to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry and has passed the commercial driver license exam within 30 days of the last day of training or, if the driver fails the first exam attempt, the applicant shall show that the driver has taken and passed the exam within 14 days of a first failed attempt; and
(4) submitting an itemized budget describing expenses incurred completing entry-level driver training.
2. To effectuate the provisions of this act, all necessary funding for the “Entry-Level Driver Training Grant Program” shall be allocated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development out of the amounts of federal government assistance provided to this State which may be available for purposes of workforce development under the federal “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,” Pub.L.117-2, “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act,” Pub.L.113-128, or any other applicable federal program.
3. This act shall take
effect 90 days next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to establish an “Entry-Level Driver Training Grant Program.” Commercial motor vehicle drivers are a vital and growing part of New Jersey’s economy, with an estimated 44,800 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the State as of May 2021. The costs associated with meeting federal and state requirements remain a barrier to entry for many who wish to obtain a commercial driver license, or CDL. On February 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began implementing new Entry-Level Driver Training regulations that entry-level drivers must complete before being permitted to take certain CDL skills or knowledge tests. These additional requirements place further burdens on new commercial motor vehicle drivers.
By implementing a reimbursement program, the State will encourage employers to pay for their employees’ Entry-Level Driver Training and remove the burden from the drivers. This bill also allocates sufficient monies received by the State under the federal “American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021,” Pub.L.117-2, and “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA),” Pub.L.113-128, to fund this program.