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Committee advances NDOT agency bill adding CDL penalties, remote testing and camera rules
Summary
The Homeland Security and Transportation Committee passed House Bill 1,200 as amended, a broad NDOT agency package that adds an English-only CDL policy, allows remote non-CDL knowledge testing, permits rearview cameras in place of mirrors for some vehicles, and creates penalties for false CDL documentation; vote passed 8-0.
House Bill 1,200, described by Representative Pressell as the NDOT agency matters bill, cleared the Homeland Security and Transportation Committee on a unanimous roll call after a series of amendments and witness testimony.
Representative Pressell outlined the bill27s major provisions, saying it would allow the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to personalize historic license plates, authorize license issuance at age 16 for drivers who have completed training, extend the window for senior vision exams from 30 to 60 days, expand online renewal for identification cards and set a date to remove billboards advertising class 1 controlled substances. He also said the bill would require commercial driver27s license (CDL) knowledge tests to be administered in English only and would permit remote proctored testing for non-CDL knowledge exams.
The committee adopted amendment 12 by consent to exempt low-speed vehicles (for example, golf carts and side-by-sides) from a supplemental EV registration fee that had applied to some small battery-powered vehicles. Amendment 13 moved the deadline to remove billboards advertising class 1 controlled substances from July 1, 2026, to October 1, 2026, to give the industry time to comply. Amendment 14 created criminal penalties for false CDL documentation, proposing a class 6 felony for a CDL holder with falsified paperwork and a $50,000 civil penalty for the motor carrier that employed the driver.
Gary Langston of the Indiana Motor Truck Association testified in support of the amendment and the bill, saying the industry invests heavily in training and that improperly qualified drivers who obtain CDLs through fraudulent means have caused serious incidents. "When you don't have training, and these people don't have training, they have a piece of paper that they bought someplace, and they're driving these trucks and you've seen the consequences of that," Langston said.
Cody Eckert, legislative director at the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and Matt Keshin, BMV general counsel, answered questions about the remote-proctoring concept and implementation. Eckert said the bill27s remote testing provision is intended as a first step for non-CDL knowledge exams (for example, testing offered through schools or education centers with proctors) and that BMV would develop rules to ensure secure administration; he emphasized remote testing would not apply to CDL exams.
Senators asked about practical safeguards for remote proctoring and whether rearview cameras could reliably replace outside mirrors. Representative Pressell and supporters said the camera provision is targeted at large buses and other vehicles where mirrors provide obstructed views and set a 200-foot visibility performance requirement for cameras; senators pressed on scenarios such as dirty lenses and system failures.
After discussion and the testimony, the committee took a roll call and the amended bill passed on an 8-0 vote.
The bill will move on to the next stage of the legislative process with the committee27s recommendation to pass as amended.
