The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has voted in favor of legislation that would require Commercial Driver’s License holders to be able to pass English language proficiency tests.
House Resolution 5688 is named for Dalilah Coleman, a now 7-year-old girl who was critically injured two years ago in a traffic crash caused by a commercial truck driver who was in the U.S. illegally. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo. 6th District, chairs the committee.
“This legislation ensures all truck drivers on our roads, all truck drivers on our roads, can read and speak the English language,” he said. “This is critical to ensuring that drivers are able to understand road signs and interact safely with inspectors.”
Graves recounted last month’s incident in which a semi was traveling in the wrong direction down U.S. Highway 61 in Lincoln County, which is in Graves’ district.
“Law enforcement found that the driver did not understand road signage and was subsequently placed out of service,” said Graves. “The state of Minnesota should have never issued a CDL to this driver in the first place.”
Graves also said that while federal law already requires English proficiency, some states are allowing CDL applicants to take the written exam in other languages.
“California, for example, allows the written exam to be administered in 20 different languages,” he said.
The House committee voted 35 to 26 along party lines in favor of Dalilah’s Law.
Democrats called it xenophobic and said it will disqualify asylum seekers and legal immigrants from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses.
Now the bill goes to the U.S. House for debate among all members in that chamber.
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