Amends TCA Title 43 and Title 55.

This bill authorizes the commissioner of safety to issue farm-related service industry employee restricted commercial driver licenses to a licensed driver who:<br /> <br /> (1) Has at least one year of driving experience;<br /> (2) Has a good driving history, as defined in the full text of this bill;<br /> (3) Satisfies all of the requirements for issuance of a commercial driver license other than the written and driving test; and<br /> (4) Is an employee of an agri-chemical business, a custom harvester, a farm retail outlet or supplier, or a livestock feeder.<br /> <br /> A farm-related service industry employee restricted commercial driver license:<br /> <br /> (1) Entitles the licensee to operate commercial motor vehicles other than Class A vehicles;<br /> (2) Authorizes operation of a commercial motor vehicle only during the seasonal period or periods prescribed by the commissioner of safety and stated on the license, but not more than 180 days in a year;<br /> (3) Is valid for operation of a commercial motor vehicle during the seasonal period or periods for which it has been validated and must be revalidated annually by the department for each successive seasonal period or periods for which commercial vehicle operation is sought;<br /> (4) Authorizes operation of noncommercial motor vehicles at any time, unless it has been suspended, revoked, or canceled, or has expired;<br /> (5) Does not authorize operation of a commercial motor vehicle during any period when the licensee is not employed by a farm-related service industry employer, nor when operation of the commercial motor vehicle is not directly related to the licensee's employment;<br /> (6) Does not authorize the licensee to operate any vehicle transporting hazardous materials, except that a licensee may drive a vehicle transporting solid fertilizers that are not transported with any organic substance or limited amounts of diesel fuel or liquid fertilizers; and<br /> (7) Authorizes the operation of a commercial motor vehicle only within 150 miles of the place of business of the licensee's employer or the farm being served.<br /> <br /> A person may not be the holder of a farm-related service industry employee restricted commercial driver license and an unrestricted commercial driver license at the same time.<br /> <br /> This bill authorizes the commissioner of safety to promulgate rules to effectuate its purposes.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 30, 2019, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 714, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 changes this bill's effective date from "July 1, 2019" to "30 days after the date upon which the commissioner of safety provides written notification to the secretary of state and the executive secretary of the code commission that the department safety's 'A-list' driver license program is capable of implementing this bill, or January 1, 2020, whichever is earlier" for all purposes other than promulgating rules, forms, and procedures necessary for implementing this bill. This amendment requires the commissioner to publish the notification on the department's website contemporaneously with delivery of the notification to the secretary of state and executive secretary. <br /> <br />