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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1060 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2361
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
John J. Cronin
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to training tomorrow’s trucking industry workforce.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :John J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex 1 of 4
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1060 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2361
By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2361) of John J. Cronin for
legislation to establish the trucking industry workforce training fund. Transportation.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3371 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to training tomorrow’s trucking industry workforce.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 74 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by inserting after section 58 the following section:-
3 Section 59. (a) The board of higher education shall establish and maintain, in cooperation
4with school districts and vocational school authorities, postsecondary technical schools, and the
5boards of trustees of community colleges, a grant program, subject to appropriate, to support
6training and education programs that address the workforce shortages in the commercial trucking
7industry; provided that, trucking industry workforce personnel shall be defined as truck drivers,
8mechanics, technicians, and ancillary support personnel. The grant program shall be established
9with the goals of training students, creating new jobs, retraining and upgrading existing jobs, and 2 of 4
10retraining existing workers to implement new technologies and to help meet the workforce needs
11of the trucking industry within the commonwealth.
12 (b) The grant program shall be developed to address the following components:
13 (i) identify, support or establish collaborative regional partnerships including, but not
14limited to, employers, workforce development and education organizations, regional economic
15development organizations established pursuant to sections 3J and 3K of chapter 23A, and
16economic development officials where a demand for trucking industry workforce personnel
17exists;
18 (ii) address critical workforce shortages in the commercial trucking industry;
19 (iii) improve and increase employment opportunities for the trucking industry
20workforce in the commercial motor transportation sector for low-income individuals, women,
21minorities, and veterans;
22 (iv) provide training and educational or career ladder services for employed or
23unemployed trucking industry personnel in the commercial motor transportation sector who are
24seeking new positions or responsibilities within the industry;
25 (vi) boost industry-relevant instructor capacity for high school and postsecondary
26programs; and
27 (vii) direct support for succession planning, worker retention, and upskilling strategies
28for older and incumbent workers.
29 (c) Entities eligible to apply to participate in the grant program shall include but not be
30limited to (i) employers and employer associations; (ii) local workforce investment boards; (iii) 3 of 4
31institutions of higher education; (iv) public comprehensive high schools and vocational technical
32high schools; (v) private for-profit and nonprofit organizations providing education and
33workforce training; (vi) 1-stop career centers; (vii) local workforce development entities; (viii)
34union training programs; and (viii) any partnership or collaboration among such eligible
35applicants. Any funds allocated through the grant program shall complement and not replace
36existing local, state, private or federal funding for training and educational programs.
37 (d) A grant proposal submitted pursuant to this section shall include but not be limited to:
38 (i) a plan that defines specific goals for increasing the number of trucking industry
39personnel in the commercial motor transportation sector;
40 (ii) the evidence-based program or programs the applicant shall use to meet the goals;
41 (iii) a budget necessary to implement the plan, including a detailed description of any
42funding or in-kind contributions that an applicant will be providing in support of the proposal;
43 (iv) any private funding or private sector participation that the applicant anticipates in
44support of the proposal; and
45 (v) the proposed number of individuals who would be enrolled, complete training and
46be placed into employment within the trucking or related industries.
47 (e) The department of higher education shall, in consultation with the executive office of
48housing and economic development, executive office of labor and workforce development,
49department of elementary and secondary education, and entities representing parties who are
50eligible to participate in the grant program, develop guidelines for an annual review of the 4 of 4
51progress being made by each grantee. A grantee shall participate in any evaluation or
52accountability process implemented by or authorized by department of higher education.
53 (f) The department of higher education shall file an annual report with the chairs of the
54house and senate committee on ways and means, the chairs of the joint committee on labor and
55workforce development, and the chairs of the joint committee on economic development and
56emerging technologies not later than January 1; provided, however, that the report shall include
57an overview of the activities of the programs, the number of participants in the programs, and the
58employment outcomes in the programs.
59 SECTION 2. Section 8B of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the same
60edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following new paragraph at the end thereof:-
61 The registrar, in consultation with the board of higher education, shall provide
62information to applicants who receive a learner’s permit about careers in the trucking industry.