Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Pablo José Hernández Rivera announced on May 19 that H.R. 5656, a bipartisan bill he co-sponsors to expand access to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) for residents of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, has been included in the BUILD America 250 Act. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to vote on the package this week before it moves to the full House.
The topic matters because, according to Hernández Rivera, current law prevents truck or commercial vehicle drivers in Puerto Rico from obtaining a federally valid CDL at local offices. “In Puerto Rico, a truck or commercial vehicle driver cannot obtain a federally valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), something as simple as going to a local office and getting the certification they need for work. That certification today can only be issued by the 50 states. This forces Puerto Rican drivers to face unnecessary barriers when accessing jobs in the transportation industry and leaves island businesses with a shortage of certified workers. This measure corrects that inequality and advances the island’s economic development,” Hernández Rivera said.
H.R. 5656 was introduced by Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands and gives both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands authority equal to that held by states for issuing CDLs under existing federal standards.
The bill was included as part of the BUILD America 250 Act, which is described as a bipartisan package within federal surface transportation reauthorization efforts. The package sets public policy regarding infrastructure, highways, road safety, and federal transportation programs affecting both states and territories.
Broader implications include addressing workforce shortages among certified drivers on the island while promoting economic opportunity through regulatory parity with U.S. states.
