Dive Brief:
- U.S. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana introduced legislation Wednesday that would require anyone with a commercial driver’s license to be recertified by a state within six months after the law is enacted.
- The legislation would prohibit CDLs to individuals who are “not citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States or holders of certain work visas.”
- Banks was among multiple senators who responded to President Donald Trump’s Tuesday call at his State of the Union address to create the “Dalilah Law,” named after Dalilah Copeland, a girl who was involved in a tractor-trailer crash with a driver who was allegedly in the country illegally.
Dive Insight:
Besides Banks, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas also said he would be introducing a bill, and the White House told Trucking Dive it would work with Congress to develop the proposed law.
Bank’s legislation would require states to recertify individuals, including CDL and non-domiciled CDL holders, and licenses could be revoked if the current bill proceeds as is. Recertification would be needed to preserve federal funding.
Senators’ press offices didn’t immediately return comment, but a news release by Banks said the proposed law would require states to limit trucking licenses to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and certain work visa holders.
Banks’ statement also said the bill would entail revoking “all trucking licenses currently issued to illegal aliens and aliens with temporary status, whether or not such persons have work authorization.”
