Funding to CDL training programs (Wisconsin Department Of Transportation)

Dear Rachel Premack:

We received your message on September 25, 2023, requesting records regarding the public funding of commercial drivers' license training programs. Your request has been forwarded to the Division of Motor Vehicles. You will be contacted if any clarifications or additional information on your request are needed. If you have any questions on the status of your request, do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you very much.

Vera Crowell
Legal Associate/Open Records Coordinator
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Office of General Counsel, Room S922
Phone: 608-266-2544
Fax: 608-267-6734

Hello Rachel,

Thank you for contacting the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. We have received your open record request dated September 25, 2023:

I am requesting copies of public records regarding the public funding of commercial drivers' license training programs from 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2022. These programs are designed to prepare students to meet the qualifications to become a qualified entry-level commercial truck driver. Funds for these programs were made available through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Specifically, I request information regarding the following:
- Budget documents for the full date range noted above, including planning documents, proposals, and research reports
- Spending reports
- Communications, including internal emails, press releases, and meeting notes and transcripts, that include the phrase "commercial drivers' license"

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days.
The current wording of the request is very broad and may return a substantial number of records. For example, "Communications, including internal emails, press releases, and meeting notes and transcripts, that include the phrase "commercial drivers' license"" would take an exceptional amount of time to scope and search. The same could be said for the first two bullet points.

We are asking if you could (or would like to) narrow down or clarify the specifics of your request.
Section 19.35(3), Wis. Stats., authorizes the department to impose fees in responding to open records requests. Fees imposed for copies of records may not exceed the actual, necessary, and direct cost of record location and reproduction. Search fees (staff hourly pay rate x time spent to locate records) may be charged when they exceed $50. However, the hourly staff pay must be that of the lowest-paid department staff qualified to perform the search, no matter who does the search, and in addition the hourly staff pay charged may not exceed $30 per hour.
If I can provide additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
Denise
MVPS Senior
Driver Training and Records Unit
Qualifications and Issuance Section
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
bdsopenrecords@dot.wi.gov<mailto:bdsopenrecords@dot.wi.gov>

Hello Rachel,

I am responding to your request regarding information related to funds from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

WisDOT does not have responsive records for this request. The Department is not required to create a new record which does not already exist, compile existing information in a new format, or obtain a record from another agency. Wis. Stat, sec 19.35 (1)(L)

The Department is required to provide only documents in existence at the time of a request. A continuing request for records that may be obtained, updated or created by DOT in the future is unreasonable and may be denied. 73 Op. Atty. Gen. 37,44 (1984)

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Denise

Motor Vehicle Program Specialist

Driver Training and Records Unit

Hi Rachel,

Yes, Wisconsin DMV issues their school license per Wis. Stats 343 and TR105. School requirements can be found on our webpage Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site – Requirements to start a driver training school (wisconsindot.gov)<https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/teen-driver/dr-trn-sch/driver-training-school.aspx>.

Denise
MVPS Senior
Driver Training and Records Unit
Qualifications and Issuance Section
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Email: bdsopenrecords@dot.wi.gov<mailto:bdsopenrecords@dot.wi.gov>