Good news for aspiring commercial drivers in Alaska! The Alaska House of Representatives has unanimously voted to remove the state’s requirement of holding a regular driver’s license for a minimum of one year before applying for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). The bill, known as SB123, passed the state Senate on May 3 and its sponsor, Sen. James Kaufman, believes it will remove obstacles that deter potential CDL applicants.
“With the governor’s signature, whether you are coming in from a remote community of Alaska with limited (Department of Motor Vehicle) access, new to the country, or just waited longer than normal to get your regular driver’s license, you will be able to begin pursuing your commercial driver’s license without holding that regular license for a year,” Kaufman said in a Facebook post. “Alaskans are ready to work, and removing this unnecessary barrier to entry will help our state attract drivers to fill jobs in industries critical for food security, construction, transportation of goods, mining, oil, and gas.”
Alaska’s sprawling rural areas pose a challenge to meeting current regulations, according to supporters of the new bill. However, critics such as Karl Kowalski, director of Alaska Technical Center, state that this requirement could harm rural communities.
“Current state law assumes that a young person will get their driver’s license when they turn 16 and be ready to test and train to obtain their CDL at age 18. This is typical for youth in urban areas but is not true for those in rural areas, where roads are nonexistent or limited and a driver’s license is not required,” Kowalski said in a letter to the Senate Transportation Committee in support of the bill. “This requirement places an undue burden on rural, primarily Alaska Native, youth who may decide to pursue a commercial driver’s license and must wait for a year, possibly losing interest and missing out on employment opportunities.”
Outdated CDL regulation burdens rural drivers unnecessarily, says advocates. According to Kaufman, the one-year mandate was established in 1985, long before the current federal entry-level driver training requirements were introduced. Rural drivers are eager for relief from this unnecessary and counterproductive restraint.
“ELDT provides a checklist of well over 100 different skill, inspection, and knowledge requirements an applicant must prove proficient in before they are allowed to test for a CDL,” Joe Michel, executive director of the Alaskan Trucking Association, said in a letter supporting the bill. “In light of these new requirements, the Alaska Trucking Association views holding a regular driver’s license for a calendar year as a redundant barrier to entry into our industry.”
According to sponsor Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, only a few other states maintain such a wait time — a policy that has put Alaska at a disadvantage in the race for skilled workers. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature and will take immediate effect once signed.
Source: Land Line
