The House of Representatives has approved legislation to reduce red tape for military veteran truckers by allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to streamline the approval of apprenticeship programs.

The Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act was introduced by Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), 

“It’s unacceptable that veterans are losing employment opportunities due to unnecessary and redundant bureaucratic hurdles. Cutting red tape so trucking companies can employ veterans is a commonsense step that will increase opportunities for veterans and help address the driver shortage,” said Pappas. 

Nearly 200,000 service members separate from the military each year. Current federal policy requires interstate trucking companies to gain approval from every state in which they operate before veterans can use their Veterans Affairs education benefits to participate in company-sponsored apprenticeship programs.

The legislation will streamline this process by allowing trucking fleets to obtain a single approval from the VA for all apprenticeship programs nationwide.  

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) and Disabled American Veterans are among the groups that have endorsed the legislation.

“ATA commends Representatives Pappas and Kiggans for their bipartisan leadership on this commonsense bill that would make it easier for veterans to find good-paying jobs behind the wheel,” said Henry Hanscom, ATA’s chief advocacy and public affairs officer.

The legislation now moves to the Senate.