Today the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced its decision to grant the exemption requested by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) for commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants seeking a school bus endorsement, from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement, known as the ‘‘under-the-hood’’ testing requirement. Drivers issued a CDL pursuant to the requested exemption would be restricted to the intrastate operation of school buses only. FMCSA also granted an exemption from the requirement that states administer this portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection test in accordance with an FMCSA pre-approved examiner information manual. Under the notice, states may adopt the waiver but are not required to do so. The exemption is effective from November 27, 2022, through November 27, 2024.  Here is the notice:  https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-10-27/pdf/2022-23346.pdf.