Lawmaker Questions Two-Year Delay as Kentucky Implements CDL Written-Test Waiver for Veterans
FRANKFORT, Ky. — An emergency regulation announced by Gov. Andy Beshear last month to fast-track commercial driver's licenses (CDL) for veterans and active-duty military — waiving the written knowledge test — is drawing questions from a state lawmaker over how long it took to implement. Kentucky law previously allowed qualifying military applicants to waive the driving skills test; in 2024, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 199 authorizing the expanded waiver to cover the written test as well.
On Oct. 12, state Sen. Matt Nunn, a Republican and Kentucky National Guard veteran who serves on the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee, asked why implementation took two years. He said the delay affected not only veterans but also business owners and consumers paying higher prices in part because of a shortage of truck drivers, and called it misleading for the governor to announce the move without mentioning the legislature's 2024 action.
In his Sept. 29 announcement, Beshear said the step removes barriers and eases access to employment for those who served, calling it the right thing to do. Nunn noted that eligibility requires applicants to have operated commercial-style vehicles within the past two years, meaning some veterans missed the chance to skip the test because of the delay.
Source:WKU Public Radio
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：公路上行驶的油罐卡车，商用车辆（资料图）。摄影：Thomas Schilling，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
