Strengthening the Commercial Driver's License Information System Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3475) to amend title 49, United States Code, to allow the Secretary of Transportation to designate an authorized operator of the commercial driver's license information system, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3475
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening the Commercial Driver's License Information System Act''. SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE INFORMATION SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--Section 31309 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the first sentence--
(i) by inserting ``(referred to in this section as the `Secretary')'' after ``Secretary of Transportation''; and
(ii) by inserting ``(referred to in this section as the `information system')'' after ``an information system''; and
(B) in the second sentence, by inserting ``information'' before ``system'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``(1) At a minimum, the information system under this section'' and inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--At a minimum, the information system''; and
(ii) by indenting subparagraphs (A) through (F) appropriately; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(2) The information system under this section'' and inserting the following:
``(2) Requirement.--The information system'';
(3) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``under this section''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``information'' after ``of the'';
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``commercial driver's''; and
(C) in paragraph (5), by striking ``under this section'';
(4) in subsection (f)--
(A) by striking ``section 31313(a)'' and inserting ``subsections (a)(2) and (b) of section 31313''; and
(B) by striking ``section 31313'' and inserting ``that section'';
(5) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively; and
(6) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
``(d) Authorized Operator.--The Secretary may authorize a qualified entity (referred to in this section as the `authorized operator')--
``(1) to operate, maintain, develop, modernize, and enhance the information system; and
``(2) to collect fees on behalf of the Secretary in accordance with subsection (e); and
``(3) to use any fees collected in accordance with that subsection.
``(e) Fee System.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary or the authorized operator, as applicable, may charge a reasonable fee for use of the information system.
``(2) Amount of fees.--The total amount of fees collected under this subsection shall equal, as nearly as possible, the total amount necessary for the purposes and uses described in paragraph (3)(B).
``(3) Use of fees.--Fees collected under this subsection shall--
``(A) be credited to--
``(i) an appropriation account; or
``(ii) an account designated by the authorized operator; and
``(B) be available only for the purposes of operating, maintaining, developing, modernizing, or enhancing, or any other use relating to, the information system, including for personnel and administration costs relating to the information system.
``(4) Availability of amounts.--Fees collected under this subsection shall remain available until expended for a purpose or use described in paragraph (3)(B).
``(5) Authorized operator.--If the Secretary designates an authorized operator under subsection (d)--
``(A) the Secretary shall not be charged a fee for access to, use of, or data in the information system; and
``(B) the Secretary shall have access to fee statements on a quarterly basis.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 31311(a)(21) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``By the date established by the Secretary under section 31309(e)(4), the State shall be operating'' and inserting ``The State shall operate''.
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Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. 3475.
Mr. Speaker, S. 3475, the Strengthening the Commercial Driver's License Information System Act, is important legislation and ensures that States are able to continue to share commercial motor vehicle operator's driving records.
The Commercial Driver's License Information System, or the CDLIS, has long been maintained and operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, AAMVA on behalf of the States.
The system allows States to share information with one another, preventing commercial motor vehicle operators from holding multiple commercial driver's licenses, or CDLs, in different States.
CDLIS is used to maintain the principle of one commercial motor vehicle license per every one commercial motor vehicle driver. Traditionally, States paid user fees directly to AAMVA, and the fees were used to maintain and update CDLIS.
In 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration interpreted the existing statute and ruled that fees could no longer be paid by the States directly to AAMVA and, instead, must go to the Federal Government, leaving CDLIS with no real funding mechanism.
There have been additional concerns raised that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would need to directly operate and request new funding for a system that was previously self-sufficient.
This bill allows the Secretary of Transportation to designate an authorized operator of the Commercial Driver's License Information System, which would allow States to again pay fees directly to AAMVA and continue operating under the status quo.
The bill is supported by AAMVA and the American Trucking Associations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, the Strengthening the Commercial Driver's License Information System Act ensures that States can continue to rely on the Commercial Driver's License Information System. This system is crucial to maintaining the principle of one commercial motor vehicle driver to one commercial motor vehicle license.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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