Bill > S2571

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to waive the knowledge test requirement for certain military service members who apply for a commercial driver license. Under the federal "Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986," the federal government requires the states to meet certain standards governing the issuance of commercial driver licenses. These standards include the requirement that every applicant pass a knowledge test and a skills test before obtaining the license. However, federal regulations allow the states to waive these testing requirements for military service members who meet certain conditions set forth by the federal government (49 C.F.R. s.383.77). As authorized, the State currently requires the MVC to waive the skills test requirement for qualified military service members who apply for certain commercial driver licenses. Under the bill, the MVC would also waive the knowledge test requirement for qualified military service members. As required by federal regulations, a current or former military service person may qualify for the knowledge test waiver if, during the one-year period immediately preceding the date of application, the person: (1) was regularly employed as an operator of certain military vehicles; (2) operated a vehicle that is representative of the type of commercial motor vehicle that the person expects to operate; (3) has not simultaneously held more than one civilian license; (4) has not had any license suspended, revoked, or canceled; (5) has not been convicted of certain types of serious traffic offenses; and (6) has not been convicted of certain types of motor vehicle violations arising in connection with a traffic accident and has no record of an accident in which the person was at fault. However, under current State law, military applicants who seek to operate the following categories of commercial vehicles are not permitted to receive the skills test waiver: (1) vehicles designed to transport 16 or more passengers; (2) vehicles designed to transport between eight and 16 persons if used to transport such persons for hire on a daily basis to and from places of employment; (3) vehicles used in the transportation of hazardous materials; or (4) vehicles used for the transportation of children to or from a school or other similar places of education. Similarly, these applicants would not qualify for the knowledge test waiver provided under the bill.

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Edward Durr (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee (on 05/12/2022)

Official Document