HB 345-WAIVE CDL SKILL TEST FOR CERTAIN VETERANS  9:43:51 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 345, "An Act relating to regulations adopted by the Department of Administration waiving the commercial motor vehicle driving skills test for certain drivers with military commercial motor vehicle experience." 9:44:15 AM REPRESENTATIVE DAN SADDLER, Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 345 as sponsor. He paraphrased the sponsor statement, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: HB 345 allows the state of Alaska to waive the commercial driver's license road skills test for Alaska military personnel who earned their driving experience operating commercial-grade vehicles in the armed services. The modern U.S. military is a highly mobile force, depending on skilled drivers operating a wide range of vehicles, under often harsh conditions. Impending budget cuts and troop reductions mean thousands of Alaska service members, including active duty, Guard and Reserve, will soon be hanging up their uniforms to seek civilian jobs. In Alaska, where many trades and occupations involve transportation of goods and people across challenging landscapes, a commercial driver's license (CDL) is a valuable credential that can offer a significant boost to those seeking to enter the civilian work force, whether in tourism, commercial fishing, construction, oil field services or other industries. HB 345 seeks to help returning Alaska military personnel find good jobs, and to help Alaska businesses find qualified and credentialed employees, by acknowledging that many military drivers already possess the skills they need to be safe, productive civilian drivers. HB 345 directs the Department of Administration to adopt regulations in accordance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidelines, allowing the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles to waive the road test in accordance with federal law. To be eligible for a waiver, a driver must have spent the last two years or more driving the kind of equipment he expects to use in a civilian job, must have worked in the past 90 days as a military driver and must meet federal exemption requirements outlined in CFR 383.77. He/she also cannot have ever had any license suspended or revoked, had more than one minor traffic violation, been convicted of any driving offense involving drugs or alcohol, or been convicted for any serious traffic violation involving an accident. Alaskans who honed their driving skills while in service to our nation deserve to have that experience validated and honored in the civilian world. HB 345 is an important tool to help them get the credentials they need to land good civilian jobs, and to help Alaska employers hire skilled and motivated employees. 9:46:23 AM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER, in response to Representative Keller, said those who would qualify under HB 345 would have to have operated a commercial vehicle while in the military. 9:47:16 AM AVES THOMPSON, Executive Director, Alaska Trucking Association (ATA), testified in support of HB 345. He stated that one of the pressing problems in the industry today is finding qualified commercial vehicle drivers. He said a lot of time is used in training. He related that in-depth knowledge is needed by drivers of commercial vehicles. He said sometimes the operating skills of commercial vehicle drivers can save the lives of those drivers or the lives of others. He stated that the industry supports the return of veterans and welcomes the opportunity to do something that would both support them and the industry. He urged the committee to support the proposed legislation. 9:49:12 AM WHITNEY BREWSTER, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles, Department of Administration, noted that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) finalized federal regulations which allow states to adopt programs that substitute the required [commercial] driving skills for those that have recent military commercial motor vehicle experience. She said the division would build into its regulation the requirements under HB 345, which are: the individual is or was within the last 90 days regularly employed in a military position requiring operation of a commercial motor vehicle; and the individual was also operating a vehicle representative of the commercial motor vehicle the driver applicant operates or expects to operate for at least the two years immediately preceding discharge from the military. She said the regulation the division promulgates would include the requirements under [federal regulation] 49 CFR 383.77. She said there are many states that have implemented a similar program, including Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, and Nevada. She told the committee that FMCSA is urging states to adopt programs that will allow for this waiver and is working closely with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), as well as with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), to make implementation of this program easier across the country. 9:51:21 AM CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining that there was no one else who wished to testify, closed public testimony. 9:51:29 AM MS. BREWSTER, in response to Representative Seaton, confirmed that the division has the authority to adopt the aforementioned regulations. 9:52:16 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN said he worked with a crew of truck drivers in past, and the best drivers were those who had driven in the military. He thanked the bill sponsor for bringing forward HB 345. 9:52:51 AM CHAIR LYNN remarked upon the thoroughness of military technical schools. 9:53:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER relayed that he used to run a truck driving school and has a commercial driver's license. 9:53:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report HB 345 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 345 was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.