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1 H.108
2 Introduced by Representatives LaBounty of Lyndon, Andriano of Orwell,
3 Austin of Colchester, Bartley of Fairfax, Bongartz of
4 Manchester, Bos-Lun of Westminster, Burrows of West
5 Windsor, Buss of Woodstock, Campbell of St. Johnsbury,
6 Casey of Montpelier, Chesnut-Tangerman of Middletown
7 Springs, Christie of Hartford, Cole of Hartford, Dolan of Essex
8 Junction, Elder of Starksboro, Goldman of Rockingham,
9 Hooper of Burlington, Howard of Rutland City, Krasnow of
10 South Burlington, Lalley of Shelburne, LaMont of Morristown,
11 Lipsky of Stowe, McGill of Bridport, Morris of Springfield,
12 Noyes of Wolcott, and White of Bethel
13 Referred to Committee on
14 Date:
15 Subject: Motor vehicles; commercial driver’s licenses; commercial learner’s
16 permits; school buses; Vermont School Bus Manual; Vermont
17 Commercial Driver’s Manual
18 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the
19 Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to:
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1 (1) update the Vermont School Bus Manual to eliminate inconsistencies
2 with other manuals and make the Vermont School Bus Manual easier to
3 understand;
4 (2) update the commercial driver’s license and endorsements knowledge
5 tests required to operate a Type I or Type II school bus to only test the
6 knowledge required for the operation of a motor vehicle that is representative
7 of the type of motor vehicle the individual operates or expects to operate; and
8 (3) make suitable locations throughout the State available for prospective
9 commercial motor vehicle operators to practice prior to taking a skills test.
10 An act relating to updating the Vermont School Bus Manual and the
11 commercial driver’s license knowledge and skills tests
12 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
13 Sec. 1. VERMONT SCHOOL BUS MANUAL
14 (a) On or before January 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
15 shall update the Vermont School Bus Manual in the following ways:
16 (1) reference the Vermont Commercial Driver’s Manual to the greatest
17 extent practicable in order to avoid inconsistencies between the two manuals;
18 (2) track the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’
19 2005 CDL Test System (July 2010 or newer Version) Model Commercial
20 Driver Manual approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration VT LEG #365674 v.2
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1 and distributed to all states to the greatest extent practicable in order to avoid
2 inconsistencies with other states;
3 (3) explicitly note when a requirement for the operation of a school bus
4 differs from a requirement for the operation of another commercial vehicle;
5 (4) eliminate the use of legal terms to the greatest extent practicable and
6 include summary language in plain English wording whenever necessary to
7 explain a federal or State law, regulation, or rule; and
8 (5) provide more clarification, with illustrations, as to when one or more
9 of the following are required to operate a specific motor vehicle: a commercial
10 driver’s license, including the group type; passenger endorsement (P); and
11 school bus driver’s endorsement (S).
12 (b) As part of updating the Vermont School Bus Manual as required by
13 subsection (a) of this section the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall hold at
14 least five public meetings in geographically diverse locations throughout the
15 State and shall provide notice of those meetings on the Department of Motor
16 Vehicles’ website and through written communication to all State-licensed
17 commercial driver’s license driver training instructors. The Commissioner
18 shall also post a draft version of the updated Vermont School Bus Manual for
19 at least 60 days prior to finalizing the Manual so that members of the public
20 have an opportunity to provide additional public comments.
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1 Sec. 2. SCHOOL BUS KNOWLEDGE AND ENDORSEMENT TESTS
2 On or before January 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall,
3 consistent with 49 C.F.R. Part 383, subparts G and H, and Department of
4 Motor Vehicles, Operator License Endorsements (CVR 14-050-018), Rules
5 (a)(1)(b) and (b)(1)(b), update the knowledge tests required to operate a Type I
6 or Type II school bus, as defined in 23 V.S.A. § 4(34)(A), with passenger
7 endorsement (P) and school bus driver’s endorsement (S), as applicable and
8 required under 23 V.S.A. § 1282(a), to ensure that, to the extent allowed under
9 49 C.F.R. § 383.133(b), a school bus operator is only tested on information and
10 skills representative of the type of vehicle that will be operated.
11 Sec. 3. PRACTICE TEST LOCATIONS
12 The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall work with businesses in
13 Vermont to ensure that there are practice test locations made available to
14 candidates for a commercial driver’s license or endorsement skills test to
15 practice in conditions that mimic actual testing conditions and ensure that, at a
16 minimum, the following occurs on or before January 1, 2024:
17 (1) there are at least four geographically diverse practice test locations
18 available throughout the State;
19 (2) each practice location is available for four daylight hours per month
20 on a combination of both weekend and weekdays;
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1 (3) the practice test locations and hours of availability are prominently
2 posted on the Department of Motor Vehicles’ website and distributed to all
3 State-licensed commercial driver’s license driver training instructors; and
4 (4) to the greatest extent practicable, the practice test locations are the
5 same as or mimic actual testing locations in surface material and markings.
6 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE
7 This act shall take effect on passage.
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