Commercial Driver's License Standards; School Bus Endorsement

FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to specify that a driver who passed knowledge and skills tests approved by the Agency for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) school bus endorsement prior to September 30, 2002, meets the requirements of 49 CFR 383.123. FMCSA also amends the FMCSRs to provide that States have until September 30, 2006, to administer knowledge and skills tests that comply, to all school bus drivers. Finally, to conform with extension of the compliance date, the expiration date for allowing States to waive the driving skills test under 49 CFR 383.123(b) is extended to September 30, 2006. As a result of this interim rule, the 2-year exemptions for drivers in 11 States from the knowledge and skills testing requirement proposed in the FMCSA notice published July 14, 2005, are no longer necessary.