An Act To Amend the Law Regarding Commercial Learner's Permits

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  effective July 8, 2015, Maine law will require that a commercial learner's permit holder must be 18 years of age or older, a change made to conform to a federal regulation change; and

Whereas,  recently enacted federal legislation, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law No. 113-235, provides that specified federal funds may not be used to enforce that change in regulation in a state that, like Maine, allowed issuance of a commercial learner's permit to the state's residents under 18 years of age prior to May 9, 2011; and

Whereas,  many of the State's vocational and technical schools provide commercial driver education instruction and programs to residents under 18 years of age, which allows them to obtain their commercial license upon reaching 18 years of age and which allows them to gain employment in the trucking industry upon reaching the age of majority; and

Whereas,  the State's economy benefits by having a pool of licensed commercial drivers to meet the needs of the trucking industry; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §1304, sub-§4-A, ¶D,  as enacted by PL 2013, c. 381, Pt. B, §16, is repealed.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.