An Act to amend and reenact § 46.2-341.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to commercial motor vehicles; definition.
HB1290 amends and reenacts Virginia Code § 46.2-341.4, the definitions section for the Commonwealth’s commercial driver licensing and motor carrier safety laws. The bill does not create a new regulatory program or change licensing eligibility standards directly; instead, it updates and consolidates key statutory definitions used throughout the commercial driver’s license (CDL) article. Those definitions include terms such as commercial motor vehicle, commercial driver’s license, commercial learner’s permit, entry-level driver, hazardous materials, tank vehicle, third-party tester, third-party examiner, training provider, and out-of-service order.
The revised definitions are important because they determine how Virginia applies CDL requirements, testing, endorsements, restrictions, and enforcement provisions. The bill also reflects federal terminology and standards, including FMCSA rules, CDLIS, entry-level driver training, and nondomiciled CDL concepts, helping align Virginia law with federal commercial motor vehicle safety requirements. It also clarifies exclusions from the commercial motor vehicle definition for personal, farm, military, and emergency-use vehicles, and it updates references to training and testing entities that may participate in CDL administration.
The bill’s primary legal effect is to update the definitional framework in Title 46.2 governing commercial motor vehicles and commercial driver licensing. Because these definitions are used throughout the article, the amendment can affect how Virginia agencies, law enforcement, employers, training providers, and CDL applicants interpret and apply related statutes on testing, endorsements, disqualifications, and safety compliance. It is a technical but consequential conforming update that supports administration of Virginia’s CDL system and its coordination with federal motor carrier safety law.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It advanced unanimously through subcommittee, full committee, the House, and the Senate, with no recorded opposition in any vote. The lack of committee transcripts and the unanimous roll calls suggest the measure was viewed as a routine technical update rather than a policy dispute.
No notable substantive contention is evident in the available record. The bill’s changes are largely definitional and conforming, so any potential concerns would likely have centered on how the updated definitions interact with federal CDL rules, third-party testing and training, or the scope of exclusions for farm, military, and emergency vehicles. However, the unanimous votes indicate no significant opposition from legislators or committees.