By Rep. Sam Graves’ Office
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, led by Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06), approved Dalilah’s Law on Wednesday, legislation introduced by Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC) to strengthen Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) requirements in the United States, ensure commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers are properly trained and meet safety standards, require CMV drivers to be able to read and understand the English language, and prevent unqualified and illegal immigrants that could pose a significant safety hazard from obtaining a CDL through lax enforcement by states.
Dalilah’s Law is named in honor of Dalilah Coleman, who, at five years old, was struck and severely injured by an illegal alien driving a semi-truck. Dalilah was a guest of President Trump at this year’s State of the Union address, where the President called for Congress to pass such a law to block illegal and unqualified immigrants from obtaining a CDL in the United States. The accident that caused Dalilah’s injury is only one example of recent incidents caused by drivers who were not qualified to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle and should not have been given CDLs. Some states, including California and others, have previously issued CDL’s to drivers not proficient in English, enabling them to travel cross country behind the wheel of a semi.
The Committee approved the bill by a vote of 35 to 26. More information from Wednesday's markup is available here.
“By approving Dalilah’s Law, T&I Republicans took an important step towards addressing this safety issue and making sure only qualified drivers can obtain a CDL,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO). “This is commonsense legislation that requires all truck drivers on our roads to be able to read and speak English, strengthens laws related to issuing CDLs, and ensures that states are following and enforcing those laws and requirements. Dalilah’s Law supports the Trump Administration’s efforts to make our roads safer. I want to commend Chairman Rouzer for his leadership on this issue, and I look forward to moving this bill quickly through the House of Representatives.”
“Today we’re one step closer to safer roads for Dalilah Coleman, her family, and all Americans,” said Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC), the lead sponsor of the legislation. “Ensuring each truck driver is qualified and legally operating will protect the public from these tragic, yet preventable accidents. I want to thank Chairman Graves, Secretary Duffy, and my colleagues for their support and swift action in advancing this critical legislation. I look forward to working to get this bill through the House and Senate to answer President Trump’s call to restore public trust on our roadways.”
The bill parallels and supports efforts by President Trump and Transportation Secretary Duffy to crack down on this safety crisis that was fueled by the open border policies of the Biden Administration, and it codifies many of the Administration’s actions to ensure safety on the nation’s roads. The legislation also includes a provision from Rep. Dave Taylor’s (R-OH) Connor’s Law requiring English Language Proficiency for all CDL holders.
Dalilah’s Law, improves safety and CDL policies by:
—Ensuring all CDL holders understand English, roads signs, and law enforcement officers;
—Placing drivers who fail to meet the Law’s requirements and safety standards out-of-service;
—Requiring states to verify that they are not issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants;
—Significantly increasing penalties for states failing to comply with the Law, by withholding of Federal funds;
—Banning shady foreign dispatch services and brokers, who have fueled a surge in freight fraud and cargo theft; and
—Cracking down on “CDL mills” to ensure drivers entering the industry are receiving adequate training.
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