A California bill that would tighten up medical exam requirements for commercial drivers has stalled after lobbying by chiropractors. The bill aims to tighten up licensing procedures in the wake of an incident where a mentally troubled truck driver rammed his truck into the state Capitol in January.

At issue is a provision of the bill would forbid chiropractors from performing CDL medical exams. Mike Bowers, the trucker who killed himself in the suicide run, was examined by a chiropractor who certified him as fit to drive, which is legal under federal - and California - law, as are exams by physician's assistants and advanced practical nurses.
However, SB 1048 has met strong resistance from chiropractors, reports the Sacramento Bee. It would require than only physicians or surgeons conduct the exams, which is already required for school bus drivers and farmworker vehicle drivers under state law.
The bill's sponsor, Hillsborough Democrat Jackie Speier, told the paper, "You cannot tell me that if the Department of Motor Vehicles thinks it's important enough to develop a 31-page handbook on (the medical exam), that an individual who's been trained to manipulate the spine can do that test relative to vision, heart conditions and mental fitness," she said.
She noted that state law requires extensive eye exams and mental screenings for truckers, while licensing rules for chiropractors forbid them from practicing optometry.
The California Chiropractic Association suggests that instead of banning chiropractors from performing the exams, the state instead require a separate mental screening by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist.
Other aspects of the bill have already been changed in order to win support from key groups, such as the Teamsters union. Among other things, Speier removed provisions requiring the Department of Motor Vehicles to maintain a registry of commercial drivers who had failed a drug test and to forbid licensing of applicants with a drug-related felony conviction during the previous seven years.
When the bill came to the Senate Public Safety Committee late last week, no committee member offered a motion to approve the bill. It is scheduled for a vote Tuesday.

Related Stories:

• Trucker Crashes Rig Into California Capitol Building, 1/17/01

• Capitol Crash Prompts California Legislation, 1/29/01