HLS 21RS-972 REENGROSSED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 62
BY REPRESENTATIVE BRASS
MTR VEHICLE/COMMERCIAL: Requests the Louisiana Community and Technical
College System to create commercial driver training programs to advance training
standards and safety
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to design,
3 implement, and monitor training programs to advance commercial driver training
4 standards and safety commensurate with the federally proposed DRIVE-Safe Act.
5 WHEREAS, the trucking industry faces complex workforce challenges in an
6increasingly competitive global marketplace; and
7 WHEREAS, the American Transportation Research Institute reported on October 27,
82020 that a driver shortage has been the top concern in the trucking industry for the fourth
9time in a row; and
10 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System was created
11for the purpose of designing, implementing, and monitoring training programs to meet
12specific workforce training needs that address the current and future economic needs of the
13state and promote student success; and
14 WHEREAS, the primary objective of the commercial driver training program is to
15increase opportunities for members of minority groups, women, and other populations;
16including individuals with disabilities that are underrepresented in Louisiana's highway
17construction and transportation industries; and
18 WHEREAS, commercial driver training and apprenticeship programs have been
19proven to provide valuable driving experience; to reduce recklessness; to help prepare the
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HCR NO. 62
1driver for real-life driving situations that may be experienced on the road; and to correct and
2to identify poor driving behaviors; and
3 WHEREAS, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations,
4specifically 49 CFR 391.11, require commercial motor vehicle drivers to be at least twenty-
5one years old to drive interstate commerce; and
6 WHEREAS, 49 CFR 383.71 provide the requirements for commercial motor vehicle
7drivers to obtain a commercial learner's permit at eighteen years old; and
8 WHEREAS, most states, including Louisiana, allow eighteen through twenty year
9old drivers to operate in intrastate commerce; and
10 WHEREAS, companion bills were introduced in the United States House of
11Representatives and the United States Senate called the "Developing Responsible
12Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act" (DRIVE-Safe Act, H.R. 1374), which proposed to
13lower the age requirement for interstate drivers to eighteen, as long as drivers under the age
14of twenty-one participated in an apprenticeship program; and
15 WHEREAS, the apprenticeship program would include separate 120-hour and 280-
16hour probationary periods, during which eighteen through twenty year old commercial
17driver's license holders would operate a commercial motor vehicle under the supervision of
18an experienced driver and must achieve specific performance benchmarks before advancing;
19and
20 WHEREAS, the apprenticeship program would permit nineteen and twenty year old
21commercial drivers who have operated commercial motor vehicles in intrastate commerce
22for a minimum of one year and 25,000 miles; and
23 WHEREAS, participants would not be allowed to operate vehicles hauling
24passengers or hazardous materials or special configuration vehicles; such as, doubles, triples,
25cargo tanks; and
26 WHEREAS, participants would drive vehicles equipped with active-braking collision
27mitigation systems, forward-facing video event capture, and speed limiters set to sixty-five
28miles 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 Reengrossed 2021 Regular Session Brass
Requests the La. Community and Technical College System to create commercial driver
training programs to advance commercial driver training standards and safety. Requires the
La. Community 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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HCR NO. 62
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original resolution:
1. Make a technical change to the title of the resolution.
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