HB 124-LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: COMM. DRIVERS  1:04:15 PM CHAIR MCCABE announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 124, "An Act relating to commercial motor vehicle drivers' license requirements; and providing for an effective date." 1:05:10 PM REPRESENTATIVE JULIE COULOMBE, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented HB 124. She paraphrased the sponsor statement [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: House Bill 124 repeals the requirement in AS 28.33.100(a)(2) that requires applicants for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) to hold a regular Alaska driver's license for at least one year before they can begin the process of obtaining a CDL. This requirement was enacted in 1985 before state and federal regulators modernized the training and licensing standards for CDLs. Today, an individual seeking a CDL has an extensive training and testing process to go through to ensure they are ready to safely drive commercial vehicles. On the state level, a prospective commercial driver must pass a written test at the DMV to obtain a CDL Learners Permit and then a driving test to obtain their full license. Beginning in February 2022, federally mandated Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements must also be met during the CDL Learner's Permit stage. ELDT requires comprehensive theory testing and a driving evaluation process to ensure that CDL applicants possess the necessary skills and knowledge to operate commercial vehicles safely and efficiently. With these new safety and training standards, the one-year regular driver's license requirement now only serves as a barrier to workforce development. The Alaska Trucking Association estimates that Alaska is about 500 truck drivers short, presenting a risk both to food security and major new development projects in industries like construction, mining, oil and gas, etc. For young people in urban areas, getting a driver's license at 16 is common. However, for people coming from rural communities, a growing number of urban youth waiting to get their license, and newcomers to the county (including Ukrainian refugees), the year-long wait to start the licensing process often prevents the trucking industry from being a viable career option. Repealing the one-year regular driver's license requirement aligns Alaska's CDL requirements with modern federal standards and removes a barrier to a workforce that, although relatively small, is ready and willing. With the passage of HB 124, Alaska will better be able to meet our commercial vehicle needs and empower Alaskans to pursue meaningful employment critical to our state." 1:08:43 PM DANIEL ROBINS, Staff, Representative Julie Coulombe, on behalf of Representative Coulombe, prime sponsor, provided the sectional analysis for HB 124 [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Sec 1. Amends AS 28.33.100(a) to remove subsection (2) which requires an applicant for a Commercial Driver's License to have held a regular driver's license for at least one year before beginning the CDL certification process. Sec 2. Sets January 20, 2024, effective date. 1:10:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE STUTES asked how long commercial driver's license (CDL) training is. MR. ROBINS answered that getting a permit and a CDL takes about three to four weeks. In response to a follow-up question, he clarified that an applicant must first get a permit CDL before acquiring a CDL. 1:11:43 PM JOE MICHEL, Executive Director, Alaska Trucking Association (ATA), stated ATA fully supports HB 124. He said the passage of HB 124 would eliminate one of many barriers to entry for people to begin a career in trucking and transportation. He said that in February 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented its entry level driver training (ELDT) program, establishing "minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle operators." He shared that this program came from years of engagement with safety organizations, industry, and other stakeholders, and provides a checklist of over 100 different skill, inspection, and knowledge requirements applicants must prove proficient in before they are allowed to test for a CDL. Considering these new requirements, he said that the association views holding a regular driver's license for a calendar year as a redundant barrier to entry into the industry. MR. MICHEL told members to consider that potential truck drivers undergo four skill tests before being out on Alaska roads: a driving test by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain a regular driver's license; a test during the ELDT program, administered by a registered training provider; the CDL test administered by the DMV; and a competency test administered by the companies that hire the drivers. He stated that ATA feels these checkpoints are adequate to ensure safety. He pointed out that there is a small but growing group of truck drivers from outside of the United States that have chosen to make Alaska their home, who are qualified and want to work at their chosen profession but must wait a year before they can earn for their families and themselves. He said these newcomers to Alaska still would have to take ELDT and prove their skill set. He commented that HB 124 would allow these potential drivers a chance to earn a living sooner than under current laws, and he reiterated that the ATA encourages the passage of HB 124. 1:14:22 PM REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked Mr. Michel what the training standards are in other states, and if others also have one-year requirements. MR. MICHEL answered that it is a "patchwork" in other states. He elaborated that there are states that do not have a one-year driver's license requirement, and he shared that Ukrainian refugees who came to Alaska had moved to Pennsylvania since they were unaware of the requirement. REPRESENTATIVE MINA inquired about seasonal truck drivers. MR. MICHEL said there are many drivers that do seasonal work, whether it be doing long hauls in the Lower 48 and then coming to Alaska, or working during oil season and taking summers off, as examples. REPRESENTATIVE MINA, noting that seasonal workers hold CDLs, asked how the one-year Alaska license requirement has impacted non-residents who are working in the state as truckers. MR. MICHEL answered that 95 percent of regulations around trucking are done on a national level, thus, the CDL is transferrable throughout the nation. 1:16:46 PM MR. MICHEL, in response to Representative Stutes, repeated the four skills test steps he had previously outlined. 1:18:22 PM JOEY CRUM, President and CEO, Northern Industrial Training (NIT), explained NIT trains people to enter the workforce, and its workforce development specialists work with employers and community organizations to determine what needs to be done to prepare a local workforce for opportunity. He said that NIT's strongest program trains people to drive commercial vehicles, and that people statewide come to NIT's various facilities in Alaska. He shared that HB 124 would remove a barrier in workforce flow, and that NIT has seen young people attempt to attain a CDL but lose interest due to current statute. MR. CRUM opined that HB 124 is necessary because it would help people by removing an outdated barrier that requires people to test for a regular driver's license before being able to test for a CDL. He said that new federal rules that were established on 2/7/22 make the current statute moot. He explained that the new regulations, ELDT, require additional levels of training and screening. He said the process of getting a commercial learner's permit requires a person to pass written exams at the DMV and have a Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) physical conducted. After being issued the learner's permit, the person must then pass written exams proctored by a federally registered training provider and undergo a practical performance evaluation by a federally registered training provider. The last step is to perform the road test via either the DMV or one of its approved proctors. He said that knowledge and practical performance are "baked into the process of getting a CDL." He noted that vehicles, like a 16-passenger van for example, or pickups hauling hazardous materials (HAZMAT), require a CDL to drive. He said HB 124 needs to be approved in order to clear unnecessary barriers keeping people from employment. 1:22:07 PM CHAIR MCCABE announced that HB 124 was held over.