A legislative proposal aimed at tightening federal oversight of trucking licenses is headed to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee this week.
Dalilah’s Law was introduced as an amendment to H.R. 5688 by Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C. The bill seeks to amend Title 49 of the U.S. Code to mandate that all knowledge and skills tests for commercial driver's licenses be administered only in English. The bill would require all drivers to demonstrate English language proficiency and ban motor carriers from using certain foreign-based dispatch services. The updated legislation is expected to be considered by the Committee on Wednesday, March 18.
The proposed law is named in honor of Dalilah Coleman, who in June 2024 was involved in a violent wreck with a semi driven by an illegal alien from India named Partap Singh, who allegedly entered the U.S. through Mexico in October 2022. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Traffic Crash Report states that Singh drove at an unsafe speed and failed to stop for traffic and a construction zone.
The crash resulted in her inability to walk, talk, eat orally, or attend kindergarten as planned. She was in a coma for three weeks and required six months of hospital treatment before her family could bring her home. While in the hospital, she had a craniectomy and was without half of her skull for four months. Dalilah experienced a broken femur and skull fractures, and has since been diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy and global developmental delay, and will need lifelong therapy.
Under the proposed rules, the Secretary of Transportation must ensure that any individual operating a commercial motor vehicle can read and speak English well enough to converse with law enforcement officers; understand highway traffic signs and signals; and respond to official inquiries and maintain required reports and records. Drivers found in violation of these proficiency standards would be placed out of service by federal or state inspectors. The bill clarifies that communication through American Sign Language would still satisfy these requirements.
Restrictions on foreign domiciles and dispatchers
The legislation would restrict states from issuing licenses to individuals domiciled in foreign jurisdictions unless they maintain valid non-immigrant status in specific employment-based classifications. States would be required to audit existing unexpired licenses for foreign-domiciled drivers within one year of the law's enactment and revoke those that do not meet the new criteria.
The bill also introduces a prohibition on foreign dispatch services. These are defined as entities with principal places of business outside the U.S., Canada, or Mexico that coordinate freight movements for motor carriers. Motor carriers would be prohibited from using these services starting one year after the bill becomes law. Companies that knowingly violate this ban could face civil penalties of at least $50,000 per violation.
State compliance and penalties
To ensure states follow these new mandates, the bill proposes withholding federal highway funds from non-compliant states. A state could lose up to 8% of its apportioned federal highway funds for the first offense and a maximum of 12% for subsequent violations. The financial penalties would take effect Oct. 1, 2026.
Modernizing oversight
The bill also calls for the Department of Transportation to modernize its driver record notification system within three years to better alert motor carriers if an employee’s license is revoked or suspended. Additionally, the Secretary would have 18 months to overhaul the self-certification process for CDL training providers to ensure they meet federal standards both at the time of registration and throughout their certification period.
"Strengthening the integrity of the commercial driver’s license system 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," said American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear. "This legislation reinforces that trust by ensuring drivers are properly trained, tested, and qualified. By holding states accountable for how CDLs are issued, the bill establishes a consistent, lawful framework for employment in this safety-critical industry—setting uniform testing standards and improving employer notification systems so agencies and industry can better share information."
In a letter sent a letter to House Transportation & Infrastructure leadership Monday, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) President Todd Spencer wrote that 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... It is just as imperative to remove bad actors who knowingly put unqualified truckers out on the road."
