Massachusetts House votes to take action on CDL rule

Concern about a recent state action that harms hundreds of Massachusetts truck drivers has spurred the governor to call for change.

At issue is an August notification by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to nearly 500 truck and bus drivers that they would lose their commercial driving privileges by the end of August. The decision affected drivers who had a variety of offenses while operating personal vehicles nearly two decades ago.

After intense backlash, the Registry of Motor Vehicles gave affected drivers until Jan. 2, 2025, to request a hearing on the matter. In the meantime, they could keep their commercial licenses.

House Bill 5139

The agency’s action led to Gov. Maura Healey’s introduction of a bill last month to bring Massachusetts in line with the federal rule that requires periods of disqualification for certain offenses committed in a passenger vehicle, but only for offenses occurring after Sept. 30, 2005.

“In Massachusetts, and nationally, commercial drivers are held to high standards due to the nature of their work and safety concerns for the motoring public,” Healey wrote in a letter to state lawmakers. “In particular, under both federal and state law, drivers who commit certain offenses on the roads may be prohibited from driving a commercial vehicle, either temporarily or permanently.”

She added that the requirements “aim to enhance the safety of our roadways by imposing periods of disqualification that are proportional to the nature and age of a commercial driver’s offense.”

The governor informed legislators that while federal law requires CDL disqualification for passenger vehicle offenses occurring after September 2005, Massachusetts law does not include the limitation.

“I have instructed the Registry of Motor Vehicles to prepare regulations to stand up a federally compliant reinstatement process and rehabilitation program for Massachusetts, and to issue such regulations for comment by the end of February 2025,” she wrote.

The program is touted to be an important step toward allowing individuals who have demonstrated their rehabilitation to regain an important credential and contribute to needed and essential work in the state’s economy.

“In most circumstances, a commercial driver who meets the safety requirements of federal law should not be disqualified from driving due solely to passenger vehicle offenses that occurred 19 or more years ago.”

H5139 would remove consideration of pre-Sept. 30, 2005 passenger vehicle offenses from the state’s CDL disqualification law, except for multiple instances of operating under the influence.

Commercial drivers with more recent offenses will, as before, continue to be subject to all federally mandated disqualification periods.

The House voted Thursday, Dec. 12, to advance H5139 to the Senate. LL

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