ByRepresentatives Leavitt, Gildon, Dufault, Chapman, Eslick, Orwall, Appleton, Slatter, Ryu, Van Werven, Griffey, Young, Wylie, Doglio, Volz, and Riccelli

AN ACT Relating to increasing the types of commercial driver's license qualification waivers allowed for military veterans; amending RCW 46.25.060; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. Over half a million United States military veterans live in Washington state and contribute to the state's economic vitality. While active military, many trained in civilian occupations and were well-prepared to contribute to the state as civilians once they left military service. However, many job markets are regulated through licensing, and veterans can find themselves at a disadvantage in obtaining these licenses compared with those trained in the private sector.

Commercial truck and bus drivers are in high demand; individuals are required to have commercial driver's licenses to qualify for these jobs. In the case of military veterans who obtain the necessary driving experience while in the military, there is already a waiver program in place to enable these veterans to waive out of the skills examination and course of instruction requirements. However, they are still required to take the knowledge test to obtain a commercial driver's license in Washington.

The legislature believes that expanding the waiver program to include the knowledge test will remove an unnecessary obstacle for qualifying veterans. The legislature values the military service of veterans and believes that the removal of this barrier will enable qualifying veterans to more quickly apply the skills they acquired in the military to serve their communities as they have served the country.

(ii) Has successfully completed a course of instruction in the operation of a commercial motor vehicle that has been approved by the director or has been certified by an employer as having the skills and training necessary to operate a commercial motor vehicle safely;

(iii) If he or she does not hold a valid commercial driver's license of the appropriate classification, has been issued a commercial learner's permit under RCW 46.25.052; and

(iv) Has passed a knowledge and skills examination for driving a commercial motor vehicle that complies with minimum federal standards established by federal regulation enumerated in 49 C.F.R. Part 383, subparts F, G, and H, in addition to other requirements imposed by state law or federal regulation. The department may not allow the person to take the skills examination during the first fourteen days after initial issuance of the person's commercial learner's permit. The examinations must be prescribed and conducted by the department.

(b) In addition to the fee charged for issuance or renewal of any license, the applicant shall pay a fee of no more than ten dollars until June 30, 2016, and thirty-five dollars beginning July 1, 2016, for the classified knowledge examination, classified endorsement knowledge examination, or any combination of classified license and endorsement knowledge examinations. The applicant shall pay a fee of no more than one hundred dollars until June 30, 2016, and two hundred fifty dollars beginning July 1, 2016, for each classified skill examination or combination of classified skill examinations conducted by the department.

(c) The department may authorize a person, including an agency of this or another state, an employer, a private driver training facility, or other private institution, or a department, agency, or instrumentality of local government, to administer the skills examination specified by this section under the following conditions:

(d) If the applicant's primary use of a commercial driver's license is for any of the following, then the applicant shall pay a fee of no more than seventy-five dollars until June 30, 2016, and two hundred twenty-five dollars beginning July 1, 2016, for the classified skill examination or combination of classified skill examinations whether conducted by the department or a third-party tester:

(ii) Public benefit not-for-profit corporations that support early childhood education and assistance programs as described in RCW ((43.215.405(2)))43.216.505.

(e) Beginning July 1, 2016, if the applicant's primary use of a commercial driver's license is to drive a school bus, the applicant shall pay a fee of no more than one hundred dollars for the classified skill examination or combination of classified skill examinations conducted by the department.

(f) Beginning July 1, 2016, payment of the examination fees under this subsection entitles the applicant to take the examination up to two times in order to pass.

(2)(a) The department may waive the skills examination and the requirement for completion of a course of instruction in the operation of a commercial motor vehicle specified in this section for a commercial driver's license applicant who meets the requirements of 49 C.F.R. Sec. 383.77. For current or former military service members that meet the requirements of 49 C.F.R. Sec. 383.77, the department may also waive the requirements for a knowledge test for commercial driver's license applicants. Beginning December 1, 2021, the department shall provide an annual report to the house and senate transportation committees and the joint committee on veterans' and military affairs of the legislature on the number and types of waivers granted pursuant to this subsection.

(b) An applicant who operates a commercial motor vehicle for agribusiness purposes is exempt from the course of instruction completion and employer skills and training certification requirements under this section. By January 1, 2010, the department shall submit recommendations regarding the continuance of this exemption to the transportation committees of the legislature. For purposes of this subsection (2)(b), "agribusiness" means a private carrier who in the normal course of business primarily transports:

(iii) Unprocessed agricultural commodities, as defined in RCW 17.21.020, where such commodities are produced by farmers, ranchers, vineyardists, or orchardists; or

The department shall notify the transportation committees of the legislature if the federal government takes action affecting the exemption provided in this subsection (2)(b).

(3) A commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit may not be issued to a person while the person is subject to a disqualification from driving a commercial motor vehicle, or while the person's driver's license is suspended, revoked, or canceled in any state, nor may a commercial driver's license be issued to a person who has a commercial driver's license issued by any other state unless the person first surrenders all such licenses, which must be returned to the issuing state for cancellation.

(4) The fees under this section must be deposited into the highway safety fund unless prior to July 1, 2023, the actions described in (a) or (b) of this subsection occur, in which case the portion of the revenue that is the result of the fee increased in section 207, chapter 44, Laws of 2015 3rd sp. sess. must be distributed to the connecting Washington account created under RCW 46.68.395.

(a) Any state agency files a notice of rule making under chapter 34.05 RCW for a rule regarding a fuel standard based upon or defined by the carbon intensity of fuel, including a low carbon fuel standard or clean fuel standard.

(b) Any state agency otherwise enacts, adopts, orders, or in any way implements a fuel standard based upon or defined by the carbon intensity of fuel, including a low carbon fuel standard or clean fuel standard.

(c) Nothing in this subsection acknowledges, establishes, or creates legal authority for the department of ecology or any other state agency to enact, adopt, order, or in any way implement a fuel standard based upon or defined by the carbon intensity of fuel, including a low carbon fuel standard or clean fuel standard.