This bill mandates that the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) authorize third-party vendors to administer knowledge and skills tests for commercial driver license applicants. The legislation amends current law to ensure that the MVC can contract with various entities, including state agencies, employers, private driver training facilities, and local government agencies, to facilitate this testing. The bill also establishes that the chief administrator will set regulations to oversee these third-party testing arrangements, including the establishment of maximum fees for the skills tests, which will be equivalent to the state's cost for administering the tests.

Additionally, the bill removes previous requirements that tied the appointment of third-party vendors to the evaluation of a pilot program and eliminates the provision that allowed the chief administrator to limit the number of authorized vendors. This change aims to streamline the process and increase the availability of testing options for commercial driver license applicants, addressing the lack of implementation of the pilot program initiated in 2017. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 39:3-10.21