Dive Brief:
- Under an amendment to the proposed Dalilah’s Law, English language proficiency would necessary to obtain a commercial driver’s license and prevent a driver from being placed out of service.
- The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will convene at 10 a.m. Wednesday to consider updated legislative text introduced by Committee Chair U.S. Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina.
- “Commercial driver’s license standards are in place for a reason: to ensure that only those qualified to drive a truck are allowed to do so,” Rouzer said in a statement on Monday.
Dive Insight:
More stringent rules over how CDLs are issued gained momentum after President Donald Trump urged Congress during his Feb. 24 State of the Union of address for legislation to address safety concerns including English language proficiency.
In the days that followed, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana introduced a bill that would require anyone with a commercial driver’s license to be recertified within six months after the law was enacted. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas also indicated on a social media post his intent to introduce legislation.
Rouzer’s Dalilah bill would amend H.R. 5688 and aim to improve safety and CDL policies by ensuring CDL holders understand English, road signs and law enforcement officers, per his statement. It also would put drivers out of service if they failed to meet the law’s requirements.
States would be required to verify they are not awarding commercial driver licenses to immigrants in the country illegally, and federal funds also would be withheld from states not complying with the law, according to a committee statement.
The amendment also aims to address freight fraud and cargo theft by banning “shady foreign dispatch services and brokers,” per the release. Additionally, the amendment seeks to target CDL mills to ensure drivers receive proper training.
The trucking industry hailed the amended Dalilah Law, named after Dalilah Coleman who was injured in a traffic accident involving a tractor-trailer in California 2024. The driver of truck, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Partap Singh of India who was allegedly in the country illegally, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said in a letter submitted to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said the “legislation closes loopholes that have allowed unqualified individuals to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) through the 'non-domiciled' CDL program and ensures full enforcement of English Language Proficiency standards for professional truck drivers.”
American Truckig Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said in a statement, “Strengthening the integrity of the commercial driver’s license is essential to restoring accountability, removing bad actors from the road, and protecting the overwhelming majority of professional truck drivers who follow the rules and uphold high standards.”
“The motoring public deserves confidence in who is operating heavy commercial vehicles,” Spear said. “This legislation reinforces that trust by ensuring drivers are properly trained, tested, and qualified.”
