MMA urges legislators to support corrective legislation that would help retain CDL drivers

The Honorable Michael J. Rodrigues, Chair
Senate Committee on Ways and Means
State House, Boston

Delivered electronically

Dear Chair Rodrigues and Distinguished Members of the Committee,

On behalf of all cities and towns across the Commonwealth, I write today to express support for H. 5139, An Act relative to commercial driver’s licenses. Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on this important and timely bill, which was engrossed in the House of Representatives last week.

We deeply appreciate the Legislature and Governor’s hard work and commitment to addressing policy topics critical to the well-being of the Commonwealth, and for continuing this essential work well into the informal session. We commend Governor Healey for filing this bill last month, reflecting the urgent attention required of this issue.

As you may know, earlier this year, hundreds of Massachusetts CDL drivers were given notice that, due to disqualifying events that occurred years (sometimes decades) prior, they would no longer be allowed to hold a CDL in the Commonwealth. Recipients of these announcements received no warning or early notification and were given no opportunity to respond nor assurance of their employment. Shortly after this announcement, the Registry of Motor Vehicles did adapt the process to allow an extension and appeal process for those receiving cancellation notices. We appreciate the RMV’s wise action and willingness to adapt the process timeline. However, this action did not solve the underlying issue that now threatens the livelihood of many affected workers in Massachusetts.

H. 5139 proposes a reasonable correction to remedy this situation while also expanding the pool for qualified CDL candidates. The bill provides individuals who have experienced disqualifying events prior to September 30, 2005, the possibility to hold a CDL. Passage of this legislation will better align Massachusetts to federal standards, and swift movement of this bill will help guarantee the livelihood of many of the hard-working CDL drivers that received disqualification notices.

Across the Commonwealth, cities, towns and school districts rely on CDL drivers to ensure essential services are provided. These licensees play an important role to fulfill critical duties in our Departments of Public Works and are responsible for the safe transportation of the Commonwealth’s students throughout the school year and into the summer.

Throughout the nation, there is a significant shortage of CDL drivers. The Commonwealth is not spared this shortage, and this deficit becomes exacerbated by more stringent CDL requirements in Massachusetts. The legislation under review offers a reasonable adjustment that still maintains the Commonwealth’s high standards for safety, while also expanding the pool for responsible CDL candidates.

Our cities and towns work diligently to recruit or train and license CDL drivers to fill municipal vacancies. Municipalities are taking action by standing up training programs, supporting unlicensed candidates through the process, and much more. The RMV is now offering CDL permit tests in multiple languages with plans to expand. H. 5139 is a logical complement to these actions to help solve the CDL shortage.

Thank you all for your careful review of this topic and consideration of the implications of this policy. We feel confident that quick action on this bill will mitigate further negative impacts to many dedicated municipal and school district workers, while also opening the door to opportunity for a number of individuals that may be great candidates to fill open positions. We urge you to support this bill and move it through the legislative process swiftly.

As always, if you have any questions or desire further information, please do not hesitate to have your office contact me or MMA Legislative Analyst Adrienne Núñez at anunez@mma.org at any time. Thank you for your thoughtful attention to this important legislation and for your continued partnership with cities and towns.

Sincerely,

Adam Chapdelaine
MMA Executive Director & CEO