Official Summaries

This bill directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to permanently allow states to exempt school bus drivers from the “under-the-hood” testing requirement for a commercial driver's license (CDL).

As background, on December 2, 2024, the FMCSA renewed an exemption through November 28, 2026, that allows states to exempt all school bus driver applicants for a CDL from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement, commonly referred to as the under-the-hood testing requirement. States must meet certain terms and conditions for the exemption.

Under the bill, the FMCSA must make permanent the December 2, 2024, exemption, thus permanently allowing states to exempt school bus drivers from the under-the-hood testing requirement. States must meet the additional terms and conditions for an exemption, which include (1) restricting school bus drivers who are issued a CDL based on the exemption to the intrastate operation of school buses, and (2) requiring states to conduct the remaining pre-trip vehicle inspection components of the skills test.

Further, the FMCSA must require any state participating in the exemption to submit an annual report describing the number of drivers that obtain a CDL under the exemption.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2360 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2360

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 26, 2025

Mr. Carter of Texas (for himself, Mr. Cole, Mr. Smith of Missouri, Ms. 
 Foxx, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Nehls, and Mr. Self) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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. 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.
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