Politics
Senate panel advances bill to strengthen Tax Collector oversight of commercial driving schools
‘We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society.’
A proposal meant to crack down on fraudulent commercial driver’s license activity at DMV sites zipped through its first Senate committee with unanimous support.
Members of the Senate Transportation Committee advanced the measure (SB 584) by Miami Springs Republican Sen. Bryan Ávila, who said there’s a rising trend in Miami-Dade of people lying about being licensed to drive commercial vehicles.
Ávila said Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez approached him about the problem, which could spread to other parts of the state, if it hasn’t already.
“The goal here, Senators, is to protect the integrity of driver licensing processes, deter fraud and support compliant driving schools without altering curriculum testing standards or a statewide eligibility criteria,” he said.
“This is an effort to make sure we can cover all our bases through cooperation and through collaboration with our Tax Collector.”
If approved, the legislation would authorize the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to formally delegate enforcement authority over commercial driving schools to county Tax Collectors through interagency agreements.
Under those agreements, Tax Collectors could bar driving school operators from Tax Collector Offices, investigate fraud or practices undermining license integrity, require license verification and inspect driving school premises for legal compliance
“We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society,” Ávila previously told Florida Politics while discussing his 2026 legislative priorities. “We want everyone that is driving any truck or vehicle on our roadways to be absolutely qualified and licensed to be driving.”
Barney Bishop of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and Carlos San Jose of Corcoran Partners signaled support for the measure, which will next go to the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development.
A House twin of the bill (HB 953) by Miami Republican Rep. Omar Blanco awaits committee referrals.
