Requires MVC to verify certain information concerning commercial learner's permit and commercial driver license applicants and holders to ensure persons illegally in the State do not obtain or hold such permits and licenses.

A5004

ASSEMBLY, No. 5004

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 7, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� GREGORY E. MYHRE

District 9 (Ocean)

Assemblyman� BRIAN E. RUMPF

District 9 (Ocean)

Assemblywoman� DAWN FANTASIA

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires MVC to verify certain information concerning
commercial learner�s permit and commercial driver license applicants and
holders to ensure persons illegally in State do not obtain or hold such permits
and licenses.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning commercial learner�s permits and commercial
driver licenses and supplementing
P.L.1990, c.103 (C.39:3-10.9 et al.).

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in
P.L. , c.
(C. ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill):

���� �Applicant� means a person who
is applying, but does not currently hold a commercial learner�s permit or commercial
driver license in this State.�

���� �Chief Administrator� means
the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

���� �Division� means the Division
of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety.

���� 2.��� a.� Before issuing a commercial
learner�s permit or commercial driver license to an applicant, the Chief
Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall verify an
applicant�s lawful immigration status through the Systematic Alien Verification
for Entitlements program, administered by the United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services in the United States Department of Homeland Security, to
confirm the applicant is eligible to hold a commercial learner�s permit or
commercial driver license under Subpart B of 49 C.F.R. Part 384.� If an
applicant is found to not be eligible to hold a commercial learner�s permit or
commercial driver license under Subpart B of 49 C.F.R. Part 384, the chief administrator
shall deny the application.� If an applicant is found to be in the United
States illegally, the chief administrator shall provide any relevant
information about the applicant to the United States Department of Homeland
Security and provide any assistance to the United States Department of Homeland
Security on any investigation and deportation actions taken by the department.

���� b.��� No later than 90 days
after the date of enactment of P.L. ,
c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), the chief administrator shall
verify the lawful immigration status of all current commercial learner�s permit
holders and
commercial driver license holders
in
the State through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program,
administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in the
United States Department of Homeland Security, to confirm that each commercial
learner�s permit holder and commercial driver license holder is eligible to
hold a commercial learner�s permit or commercial driver license under Subpart B
of 49 C.F.R. Part 384.� If a holder is found not to be eligible to hold a
commercial learner�s permit or commercial driver license under Subpart B of 49
C.F.R. Part 384, the chief administrator shall downgrade the holder�s commercial
learner�s permit or commercial driver license within 30 days of finding out
that the holder is not eligible.� If a holder is found to be in the United States
illegally, the chief administrator shall provide any relevant information about
the holder to the United States Department of Homeland Security and provide any
assistance to the United States Department of Homeland Security on any investigation
and deportation actions taken by the department.

���� 3.��� a.� No later than 120
days after the date of enactment of P.L. ,
c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), the chief administrator shall conduct
a check for outstanding warrants for arrest for all current commercial learner�s
permit holders and commercial driver license holders in the State.� If an
active arrest warrant is found, the chief administrator shall report the
commercial learner�s permit or commercial driver license holder�s information
to the Division of State Police.

���� b.��� A commercial learner�s
permit holder or a commercial driver license holder shall submit to being
fingerprinted by the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and
Public Safety or by agents appointed by or under contract to the division and
shall also provide written consent to the performance of a criminal history
record background check unless the holder was previously fingerprinted and had
a criminal history background check conducted as part of an application for a commercial
driver license or a passenger endorsement under a commercial driver license or
both.� The chief administrator is authorized to exchange fingerprint data and
photographic identification with, and receive criminal background check results
from, the division.� The division may exchange fingerprint data with and
receive criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.� The commercial learner�s permit or commercial driver license
holder shall bear the cost of fingerprinting and the cost for the background
checks, including all costs of administering and processing the background checks.

���� 4.��� The chief administrator may
adopt, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations necessary for the
implementation of P.L. , c.
(C. ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill).�

���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the Chief
Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
(MVC) to verify the immigration status of commercial learner�s permit and commercial
driver license (CDL) applicants and current commercial learner�s permit and CDL
holders and check for any outstanding arrest warrants for commercial learner�s
permit and CDL holders.

���� Specifically, the bill
requires the chief administrator to review and verify the immigration status of
commercial learner�s permit and CDL applicants and current commercial learner�s
permit and CDL holders in the State using the Systematic Alien Verification for
Entitlements program, administered by the United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services in the United States Department of Homeland Security to
confirm the applicants and holders are eligible to hold a commercial learner�s
permit or CDL compliant with federal law.� If an applicant is found not to be
eligible to hold a commercial learner�s permit or CDL, the chief administrator
must deny the application.� Additionally, if an applicant is found to be in the
United States illegally, the chief administrator is to provide any relevant
information about the applicant to the United States Department of Homeland
Security and provide any assistance to the United States Department of Homeland
Security on any investigation and deportation actions taken by the department.�

���� If a holder is found not to be
eligible to hold a commercial learner�s permit or commercial driver license the
chief administrator must downgrade the commercial learner�s permit or CDL
within 30 days of finding out that the holder is not eligible.� Additionally,
if a holder is found to be in the United States illegally, the chief
administrator is to provide any relevant information about the holder to the
United States Department of Homeland Security and provide any assistance to the
United States Department of Homeland Security on any investigation and
deportation actions taken by the department.

���� Additionally, the bill
requires the chief administrator to conduct a check for outstanding warrants
for arrest of all current commercial learner�s permit and CDL holders in the
State and to contact the Division of State Police if a current commercial
learner�s permit or CDL holder is found to have an outstanding arrest warrant.�
The bill also requires a commercial learner�s permit or CDL holder to provide
the holder�s fingerprints to the Division of State Police and to consent to a
criminal history record background check.

���� It is the sponsor�s intent to
ensure that commercial learner�s permits and CDLs are not given to those
persons who are in the State illegally and to ensure that those who hold a
commercial learner�s permit or CDL are not in the State illegally.