A pivotal shift in this year's program, spearheaded by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, involves the exclusion of provisions related to climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The FMCSA emphasizes that this recalibration ensures taxpayer dollars are "fully dedicated to genuine safety improvements, appropriate accountability and real, measurable outcomes." This clear directive urges prospective applicants to meticulously review the updated guidelines to align with these sharpened priorities.
The core objective of the CDLPI program is to fortify state adherence to federal CDL regulations, thereby strengthening the National Commercial Driver's License Program. This initiative is a critical component of FMCSA's broader strategy to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Central to the program's philosophy is the principle of "One Driver. One License. One Record," ensuring that only properly trained and qualified individuals are eligible to obtain and retain a CDL.
Traditionally, state driver's license agencies have been the primary beneficiaries of these funds. However, the program also welcomes applications from other entities proposing projects that demonstrate a nationwide impact on improving the CDL program. Examples of such impactful initiatives include efforts to eradicate the "masking" of driving violations or solutions aimed at expediting the processing of conviction data exchanged between courts and state driver licensing agencies.
In the previous fiscal year, 2024, the program disbursed $55.1 million across 41 grants, benefiting 30 state organizations. Louisiana, New York, Virginia, and South Carolina received the largest grant amounts, while Florida, Colorado, and Hawaii received smaller but still impactful allocations. Beyond state agencies, non-state entities such as Marshall University Research Corp., the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the National Center for State Courts, and the Professional Truck Driver Institute Inc. also secured funding.
For the current round of funding, applicants must submit their complete grant proposals electronically via the grants.gov website. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. Eastern time on July 7.
