The Department of Transportation announced last month that until the department can issue new regulations, states should continue to use their existing procedures for renewing old – and issuing new – commercial driver’s licenses that allow drivers to transport hazardous materials. In late October, President Bush signed into law the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, an anti-terrorism law that prohibits states from issuing or renewing such CDLs unless DOT has first determined that the applicant does not pose a security risk. The law also requires that the Department of Justice perform a background check on anyone requesting a license or renewal to transport hazardous materials.
