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To permanently extend the exemption from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement for school bus drivers, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill makes permanent an exemption that allows school bus drivers to skip the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test when obtaining a commercial driver's license. The exemption was previously issued by the Department of Transportation and published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2024, and this bill codifies it as a permanent policy. States that choose to participate in this exemption must submit annual reports to the Department of Transportation for six years describing how many school bus drivers obtained their commercial driver's licenses using the exemption. The bill maintains all terms and conditions of the original exemption notice.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX)
7 cosponsors
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI)
- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN)
- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY)
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ)
- Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL)
- Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] (R-IN)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to John Cornyn’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- CAPITAL GROUP $22,500
- ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ $16,500
- PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES $13,686
- WINKLEVOSS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT $13,200
- BLACKSTONE $12,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for John Cornyn → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Apr 3, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. · senate
- Apr 3, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 3, 2025
Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Kelly, and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
A BILL
To permanently extend the exemption from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement for school bus drivers, and for other purposes.
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 “Driving Forward Act”.
SEC. 2. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF EXEMPTION FROM UNDER-THE-HOOD INSPECTION TESTING REQUIREMENT FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Transportation shall make permanent the exemption relating to pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test requirements for certain school bus drivers, as published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 95348), including the terms and conditions of the exemption described in paragraphs 2., 3., 4., 5., and 6. of section VII. B. of the notice granting the exemption (89 Fed. Reg. 95351).
(b) Reporting.—For the 6-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall require any State that participates in the exemption described in subsection
(a) to submit to the Secretary an annual report for each those 6 years describing the number of drivers that obtain a commercial drivers’ license under such exemption in the State. <all>
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