AB370: Bill Text

LRB-1656/1

BAB:wlj:rs

2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE

2007 Assembly BILL 370

May 29, 2007 - Introduced by Representatives Turner, Albers, Ballweg, Bies, Boyle, Garthwaite, Gunderson, Hahn, Hintz, Jeskewitz, Mason, Musser, Sheridan, Sinicki, Townsend, Travis, A. Williams, Zepnick and Hraychuck, cosponsored by Senators Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Hansen, Kedzie, Lassa, Leibham, Roessler and Schultz. Referred to Committee on Transportation.

AB370,1,2 An Act to create 343.16 (2) (f) of the statutes; relating to: commercial driver license testing for military license holders.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the Department of Transportation (DOT) may require an operator's license applicant who holds an operator's license from another jurisdiction and who is changing his or her residence to Wisconsin to take all or part of the knowledge and driving skills tests required of a person making a first application for an operator's license. Under current law, a license from another jurisdiction includes military licenses issued at a federal military installation located in Wisconsin.

This bill requires an applicant for a commercial driver license who holds a federal military commercial driver license to submit a statement from his or her commanding officer identifying the classes of vehicles and endorsements the applicant's military commercial driver license authorizes him or her to operate that are equivalent under Wisconsin law. DOT must then treat the military commercial driver license holder's application the same as an application of a commercial driver license holder from another jurisdiction.

This bill requires DOT to waive the knowledge and driving skills tests for commercial driver license applicants who hold a federal military commercial driver license, regardless of where it was issued, with endorsements authorizing operation of commercial motor vehicles.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB370, s. 1 Section 1. 343.16 (2) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

AB370,2,6 343.16 (2) (f) Application by federal military license holder. 1. In this paragraph, "federal military commercial driver license" means, notwithstanding s. 340.01 (7m) and (41m), a commercial driver license issued by the U.S. armed forces or forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces authorizing the licensee to operate commercial motor vehicles.

AB370,2,13 2. An applicant for a commercial driver license who holds a federal military commercial driver license shall submit to the department with his or her commercial driver license application a written statement from his or her current or former commanding officer in the armed forces that explains what equivalent vehicle classes under s. 343.04 (1) the applicant's federal military commercial driver license authorizes the applicant to operate and provides the commanding officer's full name, rank, unit, and address.

AB370,2,20 3. Notwithstanding pars. (a) to (c) and sub. (1) (a), if an applicant for a commercial driver license holds a valid federal military commercial driver license, the department shall treat the application the same as with applications by persons holding a commercial driver license from another jurisdiction, as to any class of vehicle the applicant is authorized to operate under the federal military commercial driver license and any endorsement issued to the applicant's federal military commercial driver license, as established by the statement required by subd. 2.

AB370, s. 2 Section 2. Initial applicability.

AB370,2,24 (1) This act first applies to applications for commercial driver licenses submitted to the department of transportation on the effective date of this subsection.

AB370,2,25 (End)