WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), has cosponsored bipartisan legislation to provide veterans with job opportunities in the trucking industry. The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act will ensure GI benefits can be used at more commercial driving program (CDL) schools – helping veterans maintain access to good jobs while providing trucking companies with additional workers. The legislation comes shortly after Senator King talked through potential ways to help veterans seeking jobs that require skills they learned in the military during a recent hearing.

“Our country is in the midst of a serious worker shortage so anything we can do to help both small businesses and veterans is a win-win,” said Senator King. “The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act will open up more opportunities for veterans to utilize the skills they learned in the military like operating large vehicles. Our veterans deserve every chance to build successful post-service careers, and this bill would help them, help our workforce, and help our supply chain.”

Currently, if an approved trucking school opens a secondary facility in a new location, existing laws require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and state regulators to deny the branch’s ability to receive GI bill benefits for two years.

This legislation is supported by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the American Trucking Association, and the Commercial Vehicle Training Association.

Representing one of the states with the highest rates of veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, he has worked to properly honor and recognize the sacrifices of Purple Heart medal recipients, protect veterans from fraud, and expand veteran assisted living services.

Senator King has also been an advocate for the trucking industry and included the DRIVE-Safe Act in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which established a tucker apprenticeship program.