Massachusetts state lawmakers have been at work in the days before and after Christmas addressing issues that include a recent action that hurts hundreds of truck drivers residing in the state. A fix to the issue is headed to the governor’s desk.
At issue is an August notification from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to nearly 500 commercial drivers. The notification informed affected individuals that they would lose their CDLs by the end of the month. The decision affected truck and bus drivers who had certain offenses while operating personal vehicles nearly 20 years ago.
After receiving a lot of negative attention, the Registry of Motor Vehicles decided to give the drivers until Thursday, Jan. 2 to request a hearing on the matter. Drivers could continue to haul while awaiting their hearing.
Governor gets involved
The backlash received at the Registry of Motor Vehicles led Gov. Maura Healey to introduce a bill last month that would bring Massachusetts in line with the federal rule that requires periods of disqualification for certain offenses committed in a passenger vehicle, but only for offenses that occurred after Sept. 30, 2005.
In a letter to state lawmakers, the governor noted that commercial drivers are held to high standards due to the nature of their work.
She added that federal and state laws for truck drivers “aim to enhance the safety of our roadways by imposing periods of disqualification that are proportional to the nature and age of a commercial driver’s offense.”
Healey told lawmakers that while federal law requires CDL disqualification for passenger vehicle offenses occurring after September 2005, Massachusetts law does not include the limitation.
To address the issue, the governor wrote to legislators that she’d instructed the Registry of Motor Vehicles to prepare regulations “to stand up a federally compliant reinstatement process and rehabilitation program for Massachusetts.” The regulations must be issued for comment by the end of February.
She added that the program is an important step toward allowing truck drivers who have demonstrated their rehabilitation to regain an important credential and contribute to needed and essential work in the state’s economy.
“In most circumstances, a commercial driver who meets the safety requirements of federal law should not be disqualified from driving due solely to passenger vehicle offenses that occurred 19 or more years ago.”
Legislative fix
On Thursday, Dec. 26, the Massachusetts Senate voted to advance an amended version of the governor’s bill to remove consideration of pre-Sept. 30, 2005, passenger vehicle offenses from the state’s CDL disqualification law. Multiple instances of operating under the influence are not eligible for removal.
Truck drivers with more recent offenses will, as before, continue to be subject to all federally mandated disqualification periods.
The Senate vote cleared the way for H5139 to head back to the House for approval of a Senate change before it moves to the governor’s desk. On Monday, Dec. 30, House lawmakers signed off on the revision. LL
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