Creates the Entry-Level Driver Training Grant Program.

Directs the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to establish an �Entry-Level Driver Training Grant Program.� Commercial motor vehicle drivers are a vital and growing part of New Jersey�s economy, with an estimated 44,800 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the State as of May 2021. The costs associated with meeting federal and state requirements remain a barrier to entry for many who wish to obtain a commercial driver license, or CDL. On February 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began implementing new Entry-Level Driver Training regulations that entry-level drivers must complete before being permitted to take certain CDL skills or knowledge tests. These additional requirements place further burdens on new commercial motor vehicle drivers. By implementing a reimbursement program, the State will encourage employers to pay for their employees� Entry-Level Driver Training and remove the burden from the drivers. This bill also allocates sufficient monies received by the State under the Federal �American Rescue Plan and �Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Dead.

01/12/2023 Introduced, Referred to Assembly Committee on Labor.
01/08/2024 Died upon adjournment.