HLS 21RS-972 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 62
BY REPRESENTATIVE BRASS
MTR VEHICLE/COMMERCIAL: Urges and requests the Louisiana Community and
Technical College System to create commercial driver training programs to advance
freight based economic development along the I-10 corridor
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to create a
3 commercial driver training and apprenticeship program to advance interstate
4 commerce freight based economic development along the Louisiana Highway 10
5 corridor.
6 WHEREAS, the trucking industry faces complex workforce challenges in an
7increasingly competitive global marketplace; and
8 WHEREAS, the American Transportation Research Institute reported on October 27,
92020 that a driver shortage has been the top concern in the trucking industry for the fourth
10time in a row; and
11 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System was created
12for the purpose of designing, implementing, and monitoring training programs to meet
13specific workforce training needs that address the current and future economic needs of the
14state and promote student success; and
15 WHEREAS, the primary objective of the commercial driver training program is to
16increase opportunities for members of minority groups, women, and other populations;
17including individuals with disabilities that are underrepresented in Louisiana's highway
18construction and transportation industries; and
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HCR NO. 62
1 WHEREAS, commercial driver training and apprenticeship programs have been
2proven to provide valuable driving experience; to reduce recklessness; to help prepare the
3driver for real-life driving situations that may be experienced on the road; and to correct and
4to identify poor driving behaviors; and
5 WHEREAS, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations,
6specifically 49 CFR 391.11, require commercial motor vehicle drivers to be at least twenty-
7one years old to drive interstate commerce; and
8 WHEREAS, 49 CFR 383.71 provide the requirements for commercial motor vehicle
9drivers to obtain a commercial learner's permit at eighteen years old; and
10 WHEREAS, most states, including Louisiana, allow eighteen through twenty year
11old drivers to operate in intrastate commerce; and
12 WHEREAS, companion bills were introduced in the United States House of
13Representatives and the United States Senate called the "Developing Responsible
14Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act" (DRIVE-Safe Act, H.R. 1374), which proposed to
15lower the age requirement for interstate drivers to eighteen, as long as drivers under the age
16of twenty-one participated in an apprenticeship program; and
17 WHEREAS, the apprenticeship program would include separate 120-hour and 280-
18hour probationary periods, during which eighteen through twenty year old commercial
19driver's license holders would operate a commercial motor vehicle under the supervision of
20an experienced driver and must achieve specific performance benchmarks before advancing;
21and
22 WHEREAS, the apprenticeship program would permit nineteen and twenty year old
23commercial drivers who have operated commercial motor vehicles in intrastate commerce
24for a minimum of one year and 25,000 miles; and
25 WHEREAS, participants would not be allowed to operate vehicles hauling
26passengers or hazardous materials or special configuration vehicles; such as, doubles, triples,
27cargo tanks; and
28 WHEREAS, participants would drive vehicles equipped with active-braking collision
29mitigation systems, forward-facing video event capture, and speed limiters set to sixty-five
30miles per hour; and
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HCR NO. 62
1 WHEREAS, participants will meet specific program qualifications and must not have
2any disqualifications, suspensions, or license revocations within the past two years and not
3be under any out-of-service order; and
4 WHEREAS, a commercial driver training and apprenticeship program coupled with
5the DRIVE-Safe Act, if enacted, would raise the bar for training standards and safety
6technology far above what has been asked of the thousands of under twenty-one year old
7commercial motor vehicle drivers who are currently legally driving in Louisiana; and
8 WHEREAS, the training and apprenticeship program is envisioned to create a safety
9centered process for identifying, training, and empowering the safest, most responsible
10eighteen through twenty year olds to more fully participate in the trucking industry; and
11 WHEREAS, the training and apprenticeship program will create enormous
12opportunities for countless Louisianans seeking a high paying profession without the burden
13of debt that comes with a four year degree.
14 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
15urge and request the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to design,
16implement, and monitor training programs to advance commercial driver training standards
17and safety commensurate with the federally proposed DRIVE-Safe Act.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Community and Technical
19College System shall submit a written report to the House Committee on Transportation,
20Highways, and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways, and
21Public Works detailing its findings and recommendations prior to March 1, 2022.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
23Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 62 Original 2021 Regular Session Brass
Urges and requests the La. Community and Technical College System to create commercial
driver training and apprenticeship programs to advance interstate commerce freight based
economic development along the La. Hwy. 10 corridor. Requires the La. and Technical
College System provide a written report to the House and Senate transportation committees
detailing its findings by March 1, 2022.
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