CDL System Legislation Clears Congress

A measure protecting funding for the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) will be going to the president after clearing the House and Senate. 

The legislation — Strengthening the CDLIS Act — cleared the Senate in September and passed the House via a voice vote on Dec. 9. It ensures finances for the system, which monitors licenses and driver records across the country. 

The measure also enables the Transportation Department to designate an operator for the system: the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). 

“This essential system is used nationwide to make sure commercial drivers are approved to operate on our roads, but recent changes to its funding source could jeopardize the system’s effectiveness,” according to a September release from Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who introduced the bill when it passed the Senate. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill would reinstate and make permanent the [AAMVA’s] authority to operate CDLIS to improve safety in the commercial driving industry which impacts communities throughout Michigan and every state.”   

In a Dec. 10 post on X, the American Trucking Associations said this legislation “will make our highways safer for all road users.”