House of Representatives passes Edwards’ bill to improve veteran access to commercial driver training

The U.S. House of Representatives passed U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards’ (NC-11) bill, H.R. 2830, the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License (VA CDL) Act, as part of H.R. 5914, the Veterans Education Transparency and Training (VETT) Act, by a unanimous voice vote.

Edwards spoke on the House floor to highlight how the VA CDL Act and VETT Act will eliminate red tape that excludes veterans from accessing commercial driver-education programs using their GI Bill benefits.

The full remarks as prepared for delivery are below, or you may watch online here.

"Thank you Mr. Speaker, and thank you to Mr. Van Orden from Wisconsin for his leadership on H.R. 5914, the Veterans Education Transparency and Training (VETT) Act, which makes much needed improvements to veteran educational assistance programs and will expand job opportunities for the brave men and women who serve our great nation.

"I’m particularly grateful to Mr. Van Orden for his collaboration in including my bill, the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023, in the VETT Act.

"The VA CDL Act will increase veteran access to timely, quality commercial driver license training, increase the truck driver workforce pool, and reduce the strain on our nation’s supply chain that is currently worsened by the severe truck driver shortage.

"Across the United States, the trucking industry is facing a more than 78,000-driver shortage, which some estimate could reach 160,000 by 2030. This shortage is exacerbated, in part, by burdensome red tape restricting veteran access to commercial driver license training using their GI Bill benefits.

"Currently, roughly 8,400 commercial driving programs are approved for use by eligible veterans under the GI bill, but a statutory “two-year rule” prevents these training facilities from accepting GI benefits at secondary locations for two years.

"This burdensome red tape has excluded many veterans from attending closer 'secondary branch' training facilities and has been forcing veterans to travel hundreds of miles further for training, or wait two years to pursue their CDL.

"My bill fixes that issue by exempting new branches of pre-approved training facilities located in the same state as each other from the statutory two-year wait to accept veterans’ benefits.

"Before I close, I’d like to thank Mr. Pappas from New Hampshire for being my bipartisan co-lead on the bill, and Senators Fischer and Padilla for leading this effort in the Senate.

"Ultimately, this is a commonsense reform with wide organizational support that will reduce unnecessary roadblocks to veteran training and workforce opportunities. I am grateful for its inclusion in the VETT Act and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5914."