Yavapai News

On Tuesday, the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act was signed into law in Washington, D.C. The bipartisan bill, which was supported by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), aims to reduce bureaucratic barriers for U.S. veterans seeking to use their GI benefits for commercial driver's license (CDL) education programs.

Rep. Crane expressed his satisfaction with the legislation's enactment, stating, "I’m proud to play a role in expanding opportunities for veterans in rural Arizona." He added that expanding GI education benefits to CDL programs increases opportunities for veterans who have served the country. "Bureaucratic obstacles should never inhibit our nation’s veterans from having flexibility in building prosperous lives for themselves," Crane noted.

The current regulations require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and state regulators to deny new trucking school facilities' ability to receive GI benefits from veteran enrollees for two years after opening at a new location. The newly signed act exempts these facilities from this waiting period if their primary training facility has already been approved by the VA and relevant state agencies.

This change is expected to improve accessibility for veterans seeking CDL education, potentially reducing commuting times and leading them towards high-paying careers in the trucking industry. Despite these changes, CDL schools are still required to adhere to state and VA curriculum standards to prevent exploitation or fraudulent courses targeting veterans.

The legislation was introduced by a bipartisan group of representatives in 2023, including Reps. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Eli Crane (R-AZ), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). A companion bill also passed in the Senate under the leadership of Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Alex Padilla (D-CA).