ENROLLED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 62
BY REPRESENTATIVE BRASS
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to design,
implement, and monitor training programs to advance commercial driver training
standards and safety commensurate with the federally proposed DRIVE-Safe Act.
WHEREAS, the trucking industry faces complex workforce challenges in an
increasingly competitive global marketplace; and
WHEREAS, the American Transportation Research Institute reported on October 27,
2020 that a driver shortage has been the top concern in the trucking industry for the fourth
time in a row; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System was created
for the purpose of designing, implementing, and monitoring training programs to meet
specific workforce training needs that address the current and future economic needs of the
state and promote student success; and
WHEREAS, the primary objective of the commercial driver training program is to
increase opportunities for members of minority groups, women, and other populations;
including individuals with disabilities that are underrepresented in Louisiana's highway
construction and transportation industries; and
WHEREAS, commercial driver training and apprenticeship programs have been
proven to provide valuable driving experience; to reduce recklessness; to help prepare the
driver for real-life driving situations that may be experienced on the road; and to correct and
to identify poor driving behaviors; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations,
specifically 49 CFR 391.11, require commercial motor vehicle drivers to be at least twenty-
one years old to drive interstate commerce; and
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WHEREAS, 49 CFR 383.71 provide the requirements for commercial motor vehicle
drivers to obtain a commercial learner's permit at eighteen years old; and
WHEREAS, most states, including Louisiana, allow eighteen through twenty year
old drivers to operate in intrastate commerce; and
WHEREAS, companion bills were introduced in the United States House of
Representatives and the United States Senate called the "Developing Responsible
Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act" (DRIVE-Safe Act, H.R. 1374), which proposed to
lower the age requirement for interstate drivers to eighteen, as long as drivers under the age
of twenty-one participated in an apprenticeship program; and
WHEREAS, the apprenticeship program would include separate 120-hour and 280-
hour probationary periods, during which eighteen through twenty year old commercial
driver's license holders would operate a commercial motor vehicle under the supervision of
an experienced driver and must achieve specific performance benchmarks before advancing;
and
WHEREAS, the apprenticeship program would permit nineteen and twenty year old
commercial drivers who have operated commercial motor vehicles in intrastate commerce
for a minimum of one year and 25,000 miles; and
WHEREAS, participants would not be allowed to operate vehicles hauling
passengers or hazardous materials or special configuration vehicles; such as, doubles, triples,
cargo tanks; and
WHEREAS, participants would drive vehicles equipped with active-braking collision
mitigation systems, forward-facing video event capture, and speed limiters set to sixty-five
miles per hour; and
WHEREAS, participants will meet specific program qualifications and must not have
any disqualifications, suspensions, or license revocations within the past two years and not
be under any out-of-service order; and
WHEREAS, a commercial driver training and apprenticeship program coupled with
the DRIVE-Safe Act, if enacted, would raise the bar for training standards and safety
technology far above what has been asked of the thousands of under twenty-one year old
commercial motor vehicle drivers who are currently legally driving in Louisiana; and
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WHEREAS, the training and apprenticeship program is envisioned to create a safety
centered process for identifying, training, and empowering the safest, most responsible
eighteen through twenty year olds to more fully participate in the trucking industry; and
WHEREAS, the training and apprenticeship program will create enormous
opportunities for countless Louisianans seeking a high paying profession without the burden
of debt that comes with a four year degree.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to design,
implement, and monitor training programs to advance commercial driver training standards
and safety commensurate with the federally proposed DRIVE-Safe Act.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Community and Technical
College System shall submit a written report to the House Committee on Transportation,
Highways and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and
Public Works detailing its findings and recommendations prior to March 1, 2022.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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