Senate Bill S10325

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10325
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 14, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation  to  establishing  the  New
   York state commercial driver's license training program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "New York state commercial driver's license training act".
   §  2.  Legislative  findings  and intent. The legislature finds that a
 persistent shortage of qualified commercial drivers constrains  economic
 activity and essential services. The cost of commercial driver's license
 training  presents  a  meaningful  barrier  to entry for many residents,
 particularly in  rural  communities  and  smaller  municipalities  where
 training  providers are less accessible and local government budgets are
 most constrained. It is therefore  the  intent  of  the  legislature  to
 establish  a  program  that enables municipalities to defray the cost of
 commercial driver's license training for municipal employees.
   § 3. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 10-h  to  read
 as follows:
   §  10-H. COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE TRAINING PROGRAM. 1. FOR PURPOSES
 OF THIS ARTICLE:
   (A) "COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE" OR "CDL" MEANS A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S
 LICENSE ISSUED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE NINETEEN OF THE VEHICLE  AND  TRAFFIC
 LAW, INCLUDING ANY CLASS OR ENDORSEMENT THEREUNDER.
   (B)  "ELIGIBLE  TRAINING  PROVIDER"  MEANS  ANY  ENTITY  AUTHORIZED TO
 PROVIDE CDL TRAINING IN THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK,  INCLUDING  PROVIDERS
 REGISTERED WITH THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S TRAIN-
 ING PROVIDER REGISTRY, COMMUNITY COLLEGES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW
 YORK  AND  THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCA-
 TIONAL SERVICES,  AND  VOCATIONAL  TRAINING  PROGRAMS  APPROVED  BY  THE
 COMMISSIONER.
   (C) "MUNICIPALITY" MEANS A CITY, TOWN, VILLAGE, OR COUNTY OF THE STATE
 OF NEW YORK.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15798-01-6
              

 S. 10325                            2
 
   (D)  "PROGRAM"  MEANS  THE  NEW YORK STATE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE
 TRAINING PROGRAM ESTABLISHED BY THIS ARTICLE.
   2.  THERE  IS  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THE NEW YORK
 STATE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE  TRAINING  PROGRAM.  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM AND SHALL AWARD GRANTS TO MUNICIPALITIES ON
 A  COMPETITIVE  BASIS  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF FUNDING COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S
 LICENSE TRAINING FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH  THIS  ARTI-
 CLE.
   3.  A  MUNICIPALITY  RECEIVING A GRANT UNDER THIS ARTICLE MAY USE SUCH
 FUNDS TO PAY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, FOR THE FOLLOWING:
   (A) TUITION, FEES, AND REQUIRED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR CDL TRAINING
 PROVIDED BY AN ELIGIBLE TRAINING PROVIDER TO EMPLOYEES  OF  THE  MUNICI-
 PALITY OR TO PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE RECEIVED A CONDITIONAL OFFER
 OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT; AND
   (B)  EXAMINATION  FEES,  PERMIT  FEES,  AND  MEDICAL  EXAMINATION FEES
 REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE.
   4. (A) FUNDS SHALL BE ALLOCATED AMONG MUNICIPALITY TYPES IN PROPORTION
 TO EACH TYPE'S SHARE OF TOTAL LOCAL ROAD CENTERLINE MILES,  AS  REPORTED
 BY THE DEPARTMENT IN ITS MOST RECENT HIGHWAY DATA REPORT.
   (B)  IN  AWARDING  GRANTS,  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  SEEK  TO ACHIEVE
 GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY ACROSS THE STATE AND SHALL GIVE ADDITIONAL  CONSID-
 ERATION TO APPLICATIONS THAT:
   (I) SERVE MUNICIPALITIES WITH POPULATIONS OF FIVE THOUSAND OR FEWER;
   (II)  SERVE  MULTIPLE  MUNICIPALITIES  PURSUANT  TO  AN INTERMUNICIPAL
 AGREEMENT AUTHORIZED UNDER ARTICLE FIVE-G OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW;
   (III) ADDRESS DOCUMENTED SHORTAGES OF COMMERCIAL DRIVERS FOR ESSENTIAL
 MUNICIPAL SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO  SNOW  REMOVAL,  PUBLIC
 WORKS, SANITATION, AND SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION; OR
   (IV) INCLUDE PARTNERSHIPS WITH ELIGIBLE TRAINING PROVIDERS THAT REDUCE
 THE PER-TRAINEE COST OF TRAINING.
   5.  (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, NOT LATER THAN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS
 AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SECTION,  PROMULGATE  AN  APPLICATION
 PROCESS FOR THE PROGRAM. THE APPLICATION SHALL REQUIRE:
   (I)  A  DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS, INCLUDING THE NUMBER
 OF TRAINEES TO BE SERVED AND THE ELIGIBLE TRAINING PROVIDER OR PROVIDERS
 TO BE UTILIZED; AND
   (II) SUCH OTHER INFORMATION AS THE COMMISSIONER MAY REQUIRE.
   (B) GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED NOT LESS FREQUENTLY THAN ANNUALLY. A MUNI-
 CIPALITY MAY, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE COMMISSIONER, SUBCONTRACT  ADMIN-
 ISTRATION  OF  TRAINING  ACTIVITIES  TO  AN  ELIGIBLE TRAINING PROVIDER,
 NONPROFIT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, OR  BOARD  OF  COOPERATIVE
 EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.
   6.  (A)  EACH  MUNICIPALITY RECEIVING A GRANT UNDER THIS ARTICLE SHALL
 SUBMIT TO THE COMMISSIONER, NOT LATER THAN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER
 THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD, A REPORT CONTAINING:
   (I) THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO  RECEIVED  TRAINING  FUNDED  BY  THE
 GRANT;
   (II) THE NUMBER OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS WHO OBTAINED A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S
 LICENSE; AND
   (III) EXPENDITURES OF GRANT FUNDS BY CATEGORY.
   (B)  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY AUDIT ANY GRANT AWARDED UNDER THIS ARTICLE
 AND MAY RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION OR THE TERMS
 OF THE GRANT.
   7. THE COMMISSIONER MAY PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS  AS  ARE
 NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS ARTICLE.
 S. 10325                            3
 
   §  4. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
 for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.