Hoosier State Today

U.S. Senators Todd Young and Gary Peters have expressed approval following the House's passage of their bipartisan legislation aimed at enhancing the national safety system for commercial drivers. The Strengthening the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) Act seeks to safeguard funding for CDLIS, a nationwide computer system that ensures commercial drivers possess only one license and a complete driver record. Having already passed the Senate in September, the bill now awaits the President's signature to become law.

Senator Young stated, "I am pleased to see the Strengthening the Commercial Driver’s License Information Act pass Congress. Our bill will help ensure the Commercial Driver’s License Information System remains easily accessible, properly maintained, and free of bureaucratic overreach."

Senator Peters added, "CDLIS is an essential system used in Michigan and nationwide to make sure commercial drivers are approved to operate on our roads. However, recent changes to its funding source could jeopardize the system’s effectiveness. I’m proud that this commonsense, bipartisan bill to permanently reinstate the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ authority to operate CDLIS will soon become law. This needed step will help improve safety in the commercial driving industry, which impacts communities throughout Michigan and every state."

State driver licensing agencies use CDLIS for various safety procedures such as sharing out-of-state convictions and withdrawals, transferring driver records when a commercial driver's license holder relocates to another state, and responding to requests for driver status and history.

Until 2022, states paid fees to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) for operating CDLIS. However, a statutory review by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which oversees CDLIS, determined that under current law fees cannot legally be directed to AAMVA. Without addressing this issue, FMCSA would need to operate with limited resources. The bipartisan bill aims to reinstate previous funding through AAMVA to protect CDLIS and prevent FMCSA from reallocating federal taxpayer dollars away from its own safety priorities.

Ian Grossman, AAMVA President and CEO said, “AAMVA applauds the Senate for taking this crucial action on behalf of the states... By moving this legislation, Congress reinforces the lifesaving role states play when they identify and take action against convicted drivers that should not be operating commercial vehicles under any circumstances.”

The CDLIS Act specifically codifies existing processes for administering CDLIS in three ways. It has received support from AAMVA, American Trucking Associations, and the National Safety Council.