Washington — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wants the House to vote on legislation intended to ensure commercial driver’s license holders are proficient in English and require states to confirm truckers’ legal immigration status.
In a July 15 letter addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer writes that Dalilah’s Law (H.R. 5688) is “necessary to help protect” the safety of truckers and other highway users.
The bill advanced to the full House on March 18 after the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 35-26 in its favor. Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), chair of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, introduced the legislation in October.
Dalilah’s Law would reinforce some CDL changes already on the books.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R. 7148), signed by President Donald Trump on Feb. 3, codifies an Executive Order issued by Trump in April 2025 mandating that truckers be placed out of service for failing an English proficiency test. The test includes a driver interview and an assessment of highway traffic sign recognition.
In addition to placing drivers out of service for failing that test, the bill would add restrictions on certain foreign-based freight brokers and dispatch services. It would prohibit the transportation secretary from registering an entity as a freight broker if its principal place of business isn’t located in a U.S. state or territory or is improperly licensed in Canada or Mexico.
“We respectfully ask that you bring Dalilah’s Law to the floor for a vote without further delay,” Spencer writes. “The safety of America’s truckers, law enforcement officers and the motoring public should not be a partisan issue, and it should not wait any longer.”
The legislation is named for Dalilah Coleman, a 5-year-old California girl who was critically injured during a June 2024 traffic incident involving a trucker with undocumented immigration status.
McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.
Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication