[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 109 (Monday, June 26, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H5143-H5144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VETERANS EXPANDED TRUCKING OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 2017
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 2547) to expand the Department of Veterans
Affairs medical professionals who may qualify to perform physical
examinations on eligible veterans and issue medical certificates
required for operation of a commercial motor vehicle, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2547
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Expanded Trucking
Opportunities Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. MEDICAL CERTIFICATE FOR VETERANS OPERATING COMMERCIAL
MOTOR VEHICLES.
(a) Qualified Examiners.--Section 5403(d)(2) of the FAST
Act (49 U.S.C. 31149 note; 129 Stat. 1548) is amended to read
as follows:
``(2) Qualified examiner.--The term `qualified examiner'
means an individual who--
``(A) is employed in the Department of Veterans Affairs as
an advanced practice nurse, doctor of chiropractic, doctor of
medicine, doctor of osteopathy, physician assistant, or other
medical professional;
``(B) is licensed, certified, or registered in a State to
perform physical examinations;
``(C) is familiar with the standards for, and physical
requirements of, an operator required to be medically
certified under section 31149 of title 49, United States
Code; and
``(D) has never, with respect to such section, been found
to have acted fraudulently, including by fraudulently
awarding a medical certificate.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 5403 of the FAST Act
(49 U.S.C. 31149 note; 129 Stat. 1548) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``physician-approved veteran operator,''
and inserting ``veteran operator approved by a qualified
examiner,''; and
(B) by striking ``qualified physician'' and inserting
``qualified examiner'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1)--
(A) by striking ``the physician'' and inserting ``the
examiner''; and
(B) by striking ``qualified physician'' and inserting
``qualified examiner'';
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``qualified physicians'' and inserting
``qualified examiners''; and
(B) by striking ``such physicians'' and inserting ``such
examiners''; and
(4) in subsection (d)(1)--
(A) in the paragraph heading by striking ``Physician-
approved veteran operator'' and inserting ``Veteran operator
approved by a qualified examiner''; and
(B) by striking ``physician-approved veteran operator'' and
inserting ``veteran operator approved by a qualified
examiner''.
(c) Rulemaking.--The amendments made by this section shall
be incorporated into any rulemaking proceeding related to
section 5403 of the FAST Act (49 U.S.C. 31149 note; 129 Stat.
1548) that is being conducted as of the date of enactment of
this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2547, as
amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, the Fixing of America's Surface Transportation Act, or
the FAST Act, created a process only for doctors at the Department of
Veterans Affairs to qualify to perform physical examinations on
eligible veterans and then issue the medical certificates that are
required in order to operate a commercial vehicle.
H.R. 2547 would expand who is eligible for the process to all VA
medical professionals as long as they are authorized by the State in
which they are licensed, certified, and registered to perform physical
examinations and they meet other requirements.
H.R. 2547 would ensure that the list of eligible medical
professionals within the VA matches the list of eligible medical
professionals that can become certified under the traditional FMCSA
process.
This is a bipartisan bill. It is going to ease the regulatory burdens
that help create employment opportunities for our veterans.
Madam Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2547, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2547. This bill is
another of our efforts to help tackle the longstanding commercial
driver shortage and support veterans at the same time as they
transition from military to civilian life.
H.R. 2547 will ensure that all qualified medical professionals
employed by the Veterans Administration can perform commercial driver
physical examinations for their veteran patients.
The medical professionals that this bill addresses are already
eligible to become certified medical examiners. This bill simply allows
them to utilize the alternative certification process for VA-employed
physicians that is currently being finalized by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration.
Unfortunately, the most recent available data shows that, of the
54,000 medical professionals listed on FMCSA's national registry of
certified medical examiners, only 25 are employed by the VA. The online
training and testing system being developed by FMCSA and the VA should
help remedy this situation. This bill will allow more caregivers to use
this new resource.
This bill is consistent with the intent of the FAST Act, which was
the product of a strong bipartisan process here in the House of
Representatives. FMCSA, in consultation with the VA,
[[Page H5144]]
has done a good job creating an alternative process that will
eventually allow more VA doctors to become certified medical examiners,
while maintaining the safety and integrity of the certification system.
Allowing VA medical professionals to utilize online training and
testing will make it easier for them to obtain certification, while
ensuring they are familiar with the specific medical standards required
for commercial drivers.
Though the FAST Act used the word ``physicians,'' the process that
FMCSA has outlined should also be available for use by VA-employed
nurse practitioners, chiropractors, physician assistants, and other
qualified medical professionals. This bill ensures that they are
eligible to use that process.
Madam Speaker, I support this legislation and strongly urge its
adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall).
Mr. WOODALL. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for yielding
me the time, and I want to thank him for his leadership.
Madam Speaker, the amendment that you mentioned, the bill as amended,
was actually an amendment from the chairman to perfect the bill. I want
to thank the ranking member for her support on the committee, and I
want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley) for her
work on the amendment.
Madam Speaker, I wish more high schoolers were in the Capitol today,
I wish there were more American Government students in the Capitol
today, because this amendment is exactly the way that the American
people expect the process to work.
As the ranking member pointed out, we made a great step in the FAST
Act to try to put more veterans to work, to try to fill more empty
spots in commercial truck driving. We did a great job together in a
bipartisan way.
A lot of folks do a job, and then they are embarrassed to admit that
they didn't get it done 100 percent. We have had folks come into our
offices who said: Listen, you have made a great step to help our
veterans access these certifications, but you could do more, and let us
tell you how.
As the ranking member pointed out, as the chairman pointed out,
before the FMCSA has even finished the original regulations, we are
back at work perfecting this, adding more healthcare providers to the
rolls so that more veterans can get to work faster--not because we are
particularly brilliant folks up here, but because folks who do this
every single day as a job back home noticed it, told us how we could do
it better, and then we created the partnerships up here to make it
happen.
Madam Speaker, it makes me so proud to be associated with folks like
the chairman, like the ranking member, the Transportation Committee in
general, showing up every single day to see what we can do to make a
difference. It is not a difference for 300 million Americans at the
time, but if you were that one veteran who is trying to feed your
family, who is trying to get your certification, who is trying to get
yourself back to work, this bill could make all the difference; this
amendment could make all the difference. I am grateful to the entire
committee team of members and team of staff for making that possible.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Seldom do we get to do two good things at one time, and that is
exactly what this bill does. Anything we can do for our veterans is not
enough. This bill focuses on them.
Remember, they have been in the armed services driving trucks. When
they come home, they probably have had the best training in the entire
universe. Our country will gain much not only by putting them to work,
but by using their training.
On our committee, we have long struggled with an issue that we still
have not, indeed, conquered, and that is the difficulty of getting
people to drive commercial trucks. This is one of the hardest jobs in
America. You are spending time away from your family. You sometimes are
gone not only overnight, but more than that.
It has been difficult to get people to do this indispensable job for
our country and for the trucking industry. Madam Speaker, I am
particularly pleased that Mr. Graves and I have been able to find this
new way to both aid the industry and help out veterans.
Madam Speaker, I do not have any more speakers, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, with that, I would urge my
colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of
legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
June 26, 2017, on page H5144, the following appeared: Mr.
GRAVES. Madam Speaker, with
The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. GRAVES of
Missouri. Madam Speaker, with
========================= END NOTE =========================
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2547, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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