49 U.S.C. § 31304 — Employer responsibilities

Page 892 TITLE 49—TRANSPORTATION § 31304 § 31304. Employer responsibilities (a) IN GENERAL.—An employer may not allow an employee to operate a commercial motor ve- hicle in the United States during a period that the employer knows or should reasonably know that the employee— (1) has a driver’s license revoked, suspended, or canceled by a State, has lost the right to operate a commercial motor vehicle in a State, or has been disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle; or (2) has more than one driver’s license (except as allowed under section 31302 of this title). (b) DRIVER VIOLATION RECORDS.— (1) PERIODIC REVIEW.—Except as provided in paragraph (3), an employer shall ascertain the driving record of each driver it employs— (A) by making an inquiry at least once every 12 months to the appropriate State agency in which the driver held or holds a commercial driver’s license or permit during such time period; (B) by receiving occurrence-based reports of changes in the status of a driver’s record from 1 or more driver record notification systems that meet minimum standards issued by the Secretary; or (C) by a combination of inquiries to States and reports from driver record notification systems. (2) RECORD KEEPING.—A copy of the reports received under paragraph (1) shall be main- tained in the driver’s qualification file. (3) EXCEPTIONS TO RECORD REVIEW REQUIRE- MENT.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a driv- er employed by an employer who, in any 7-day period, is employed or used as a driver by more than 1 employer— (A) if the employer obtains the driver’s identification number, type, and issuing State of the driver’s commercial motor vehi- cle license; or (B) if the information described in sub- paragraph (A) is furnished by another em- ployer and the employer that regularly em- ploys the driver meets the other require- ments under this section. (4) DRIVER RECORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM DE- FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘driver record notification system’’ means a system that automatically furnishes an employer with a report, generated by the appropriate agency of a State, on the change in the status of an employee’s driver’s license due to a con- viction for a moving violation, a failure to ap- pear, an accident, driver’s license suspension, driver’s license revocation, or any other ac- tion taken against the driving privilege. (Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1016; Pub. L. 112–141, div. C, title II, §§ 32303(a), 32307, July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 790, 794.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 31304 .......... 49 App.:2703. Oct. 27, 1986, Pub. L. 99–570, § 12004, 100 Stat. 3207–171. In this section, before clause (1), the words ‘‘Effective July 1, 1987’’ are omitted as executed. The words ‘‘per- mit, or authorize’’ are omitted as surplus. Clause (2) is substituted for 49 App.:2703(2) to eliminate unnecessary words. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2012—Pub. L. 112–141, § 32303(a), designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b). Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–141, § 32307, in introductory provisions, struck out ‘‘knowingly’’ before ‘‘allow an employee’’ and substituted ‘‘that the employer knows or should reasonably know that’’ for ‘‘in which’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2012 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 112–141 effective Oct. 1, 2012, see section 3(a) of Pub. L. 112–141, set out as an Effec- tive and Termination Dates of 2012 Amendment note under section 101 of Title 23, Highways. STANDARDS FOR DRIVER RECORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS Pub. L. 112–141, div. C, title II, § 32303(b), July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 791, provided that: ‘‘Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [see section 3(a), (b) of Pub. L. 112–141, set out as Effective and Termination Dates of 2012 Amendment notes under section 101 of Title 23, Highways], the Secretary [of Transportation] shall issue minimum standards for driver notification systems, including standards for the accuracy, consist- ency, and completeness of the information provided.’’ § 31305. General driver fitness, testing, and train- ing (a) MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR TESTING AND FIT- NESS.—The Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe regulations on minimum standards for testing and ensuring the fitness of an individual operating a commercial motor vehicle. The reg- ulations— (1) shall prescribe minimum standards for written and driving tests of an individual op- erating a commercial motor vehicle; (2) shall require an individual who operates or will operate a commercial motor vehicle to take a driving test in a vehicle representative of the type of vehicle the individual operates or will operate; (3) shall prescribe minimum testing stand- ards for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle and may prescribe different minimum testing standards for different classes of com- mercial motor vehicles; (4) shall ensure that an individual taking the tests has a working knowledge of— (A) regulations on the safe operation of a commercial motor vehicle prescribed by the Secretary and contained in title 49, Code of Federal Regulations; and (B) safety systems of the vehicle; (5) shall ensure that an individual who oper- ates or will operate a commercial motor vehi- cle carrying a hazardous material— (A) is qualified to operate the vehicle under regulations on motor vehicle trans- portation of hazardous material prescribed under chapter 51 of this title; (B) has a working knowledge of— (i) those regulations; (ii) the handling of hazardous material;