Driving Forward Act

Summary#

This bill, the Driving Forward Act, would make permanent an exemption that was published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 95348). The exemption removes the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test for certain school bus drivers. It also adopts the terms and conditions described in paragraphs 2–6 of section VII.B of that notice (89 Fed. Reg. 95351). The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to require any State that uses the exemption to submit an annual report for six years listing the number of drivers who obtain a commercial driver’s license under the exemption.

What it means for you#

• If you are a school bus driver who qualified under the published exemption, the under-the-hood part of the CDL pre-trip skills test would remain exempt permanently.
• If you work for a State agency, your State would need to send an annual report to the Secretary of Transportation for six years about drivers who used the exemption to get a commercial driver’s license.
• If you are a member of the public, the bill changes a specific testing requirement for certain school bus drivers and adds a multi-year reporting requirement for participating States.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs or budget effects is included in the bill text. The bill does require States to submit annual reports for six years, but it does not specify funding or estimated expenses.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information on proponents' stated reasons or arguments beyond the bill text and the list of sponsors provided in the metadata.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information on opponents' stated reasons or arguments in the bill text or metadata.