WASHINGTON -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wants to revise commercial drivers license knowledge and skills testing standards and require new federal minimum standards for states to issue commercial learners

permits.

Among other things, the proposed rules are designed to close loopholes in the permit process that allow illegal immigrants, drivers with bad records and others to capitalize on loopholes in the regulations.

Some of the proposed requirements include:

Successful completion of knowledge and skills testing prior to issuance of a commercial learners permit

All CDL applicants must have a commercial learners permit for 30 days before applying for a CDL

All commercial learners permit applicants be at least 18 years old before applying for a permit

Increased documentation requirements for CDL and commercial learners permit applicants to demonstrate legal presence

Disallowing the use of language interpreters for the knowledge and skills tests

A commercial learners permit holder must meet virtually the same requirements as those for a CDL holder. This means that a driver holding a commercial learners permit would be subject to the same driver disqualification offenses as apply to a CDL holder

Increased fraud prevention measures to be implemented by state drivers licensing agencies

Right now, inconsistencies from state to state in verifying citizenship or legal residency leave the permitting process open to fraud. The proposal includes a list of the accepted documents applicants would have to present to apply for the learners permit.

The proposal acknowledges that the current use of interpreters sets the testing system up for fraud and poses safety risks. The proposed regulation seeks to prohibit the use of interpreters in the skills portion of the testing.

In publishing the notice of proposed rule making, the FMCSA noted that many of the program areas and issues dealt with in the proposed rules are also addressed in the Department of Homeland Security's final rule implementing the REAL ID Act.

Comments on the proposed rules will be accepted until June 9. Download a pdf of the notice at www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2008-07070_PI.pdf. The Docket number for the proposed rule is FMCSA-2007-27659.