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H.R. 5656

U.S. House•In House Committee

Summary

H.R. 5656, to amend title 49, United States Code, to grant the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico eligibility to issue commercial driver's licenses, and for other purposes, was introduced in the House on Sep 30, 2025 by Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D) with 2 co-sponsors. It was referred to Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and last saw action on Dec 1, 2025: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Record

Text

H.R. 5656 has 2 co-sponsors.

hb5656/introduced-in-house.txt
119 HR 5656 IH: To amend title 49, United States Code, to grant the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico eligibility to issue commercial driver’s licenses, and for other purposes.
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-09-30
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 5656  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   September 30, 2025   Ms. Plaskett  (for herself,  Mr. Hernández , and  Mr. Edwards ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure    A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to grant the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico eligibility to issue commercial driver’s licenses, and for other purposes.
1.
Application of commercial motor vehicle safety
(a)
Definitions
Section 31301(14) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by striking  and  and inserting a comma; and
(2)
by inserting  , and the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico  before the period.
(b)
Penalty
Section 165(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(8)
Penalty
The amounts treated as being apportioned to the United States Virgin Islands under this subsection shall be deemed to be required to be apportioned to the United States Virgin Islands under that section for purposes of the imposition of any penalty under this title or title 49.
 .
(c)
Implementation
The Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall work with the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on obtaining full compliance with  chapter 313  of title 49, United States Code, and regulations adopted under such chapter.
(d)
Grace period
Notwithstanding section 31311(a) of title 49, United States Code, during a 5-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico shall not be subject to a withholding of an apportionment of funds under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 104(b) of title 23, United States Code, for failure to comply with any requirement under section 31311(a) of title 49, United States Code.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-09-30
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Sep 30, 2025

hb5656/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (09/30/2025)

This bill makes the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico eligible to issue commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards. Under current law, only states and Washington, DC, may issue CDLs. FMCSA must work with the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on obtaining full compliance with CDL requirements.

Following a five-year grace period, apportioned funds from the Highway Trust Fund may be withheld from the U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico for failure to comply with CDL requirements.

Sponsors

Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D) sponsors H.R. 5656, and 2 members have co-sponsored it, all of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 5656 went before 2 committees: Highways and Transit Subcommittee and Transportation and Infrastructure.

Highways and Transit Subcommittee
Highways and Transit Subcommittee
Referred to · Dec 1, 2025 · 174 Bills
Transportation and Infrastructure
Transportation and Infrastructure
Referred To · Sep 30, 2025 · 156 Bills

Actions

H.R. 5656 has taken 3 actions since Sep 30, 2025, the latest on Dec 1, 2025.

ChamberAction
Dec 1, 2025
House
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.Highways and Transit Subcommittee
Sep 30, 2025
House
Introduced in House
Sep 30, 2025
House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Votes

H.R. 5656 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to H.R. 5656.

Titles

H.R. 5656 goes by 2 titles.

  • To amend title 49, United States Code, to grant the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico eligibility to issue commercial driver's licenses, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced
  • To amend title 49, United States Code, to grant the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico eligibility to issue commercial driver's licenses, and for other purposes. — Display Title

Lobbying

1 client hired 1 firm and 11 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 5656 in 1 quarterly filing, 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Budget/Appropriations, Environment/Superfund, Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice, Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace, Roads/Highway, Small Business, Taxation/Internal Revenue Code, Torts.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS—District of Columbia11—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS11—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
ABBEY SCHROEDER111
ALEXANDRA ROSEN111
DANIEL HILTON111
DARRIN ROTH111
HENRY HANSCOM111
JONATHAN EISEN111
JULIA CONVERTINI111
MIKE MATOUSEK111
NATHAN MEHRENS111
SEAN GARCIA111
WILLIAM SEHESTEDT111

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONSAMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS2026 second_quarter$720K2nd Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 5656 under Transportation and Public Works, one of its 31 policy areas.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 5656’s is Transportation and Public Works.

hr5656/policy-areas.txt
Transportation and Public WorksAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationWater Resources Development

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 5656, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 160 (Tuesday, September 30, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Ms. PLASKETT:H.R. 5656.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution[Page H4510]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com