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AMENDED--NOT PRINTED IN THE HOUSE
Amt. No. 1 (5108c002.gt.cm16)
April 21, 2016
H. 5108
S. Printed 4/14/16--H.
Read the first time March 15, 2016.
TO ESTABLISH A STUDY COMMITTEE TO ASSESS THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT FLEETS IN HIRING ENTRY-LEVEL COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSED DRIVERS.
Amend Title To Conform
Whereas, it shall be the public policy of this State to strive to promote and develop an adequate and viable pool of potential commercial truck drivers in order to provide the critically necessary services to sustain our economy; and
Whereas, the shortage of qualified workers with Commercial Drivers' Licenses (CDL) is rapidly reaching a crisis point; and
Whereas, CDL holders must be at least eighteen years old to drive in South Carolina, but must be twenty-one years old to drive in interstate commerce; and
Whereas, the vast majority of private fleets and their insurers require a driver to be at least twenty-three years old, and/or have at least two-to-three years of experience before they are insurable and therefore employable; and
Whereas, a prospective CDL driver cannot get hired without experience, but cannot get the mandatory experience without being employed; and
Whereas, insurability, liability, minimum age and experience requirements hinder the private sector from hiring entry-level CDL holders; and
Whereas, there is little cooperative effort between the various education and government employment-related entities as to how to best encourage and facilitate eligible citizens to consider truck driving as a career, and to help them acquire the necessary skills to attain a CDL; and
Whereas, State and local governments have a direct connection to publicly supported schools, operate CDL driver-type equipment, operate vehicles locally, and have the ability to better screen, train, monitor, and closely supervise their drivers; and
Whereas, government fleet operators may be best suited, and may hold the greatest potential for employing and developing entry-level CDL holders. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
(1) A study committee shall be created with the specific duty to identify how best to facilitate and incentivize state-and-local government fleet operations in the hiring of entry-level Commercial Drivers' License holders.
(2) The study committee shall develop recommendations for the General Assembly to consider which meet the goal contained in Section (1), including, but not limited to: coordination and cooperation with the Department of Education and the State Technical College system; minimal or targeted agency entry-level employment-level objectives, or both; state-sponsored incentives, limitations on liability; state-sponsored insurance coverage underwriting for some initial period of employment, payroll tax exemptions or incentives; and other state-sponsored support. Members of the study committee should possess experience and expertise in human resources, safety, risk, and fleet management, or other areas consistent with this objective.
(3) The composition of the study committee shall be the following persons who shall serve without compensation: two members appointed by the Governor, one who is employed by the South Carolina Insurance Reserve Fund, and one who is employed by the Department of Administration; one member appointed by the Secretary of Transportation; one member appointed by the South Carolina Municipal Association; one member appointed by the South Carolina Association of Counties; two members appointed by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Education and Public Works Committee, one who is a member of the committee, one who is employed by the Department of Education; two members appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, one who is an employee of the Technical College System, and one who is a member of the committee; one member who is appointed by the Motor Coach Association of South Carolina (MCASC), one member who is appointed by the Carolinas AGC; and one member appointed by the South Carolina Trucking Association. The staffs of the Senate Transportation, and Education and Public Works committees shall assist and issue a report with recommendations to the General Assembly by October 31, 2016. At that time, the study committee is dissolved.
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