A U.S. House of Representatives member from Texas has introduced tough new legislation aimed at tightening federal regulations on foreign-born truckers and, among other things, does away with reciprocity agreements in which the U.S. honors commercial drivers' licenses issued by other counties and those countries recognize CDLs issued by the U.S.
This bill codifies stricter safeguards to ensure only those lawfully present and domiciled in the U.S. operate commercial vehicles, and comes as the Trump administration is taking steps to deal with foreign-born truckers.
It also issues a stern warning to states about toeing the line on the tougher regulations.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne, a Republican representing the Dallas-Fort Worth area this week introduced the Protecting America’s Roads Act. Her bill, which comes in the wake of several high-profile fatal accidents involving tractor-trailers driven by foreign truckers. It requires CDL applicants to prove lawful status and domicile, mandates DHS SAVE verification for all non-citizen applicants, and limits non-citizen CDLs to the shorter of Form I-94 expiration or one year.
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According to a statement from Van Duyne, the bill also requires in-person renewals and transfers, directs states to revoke licenses when eligibility lapses, and establishes penalties for states that don’t comply. Additionally, it ends recognition of foreign CDLs unless authorized by statute and authorizes 287(g) agencies to report unlawful CDL operators.
The provisions of the legislation would be effective six months after enactment. At present, the bill has no co-sponsors and there is no companion bill in the Senate.
In announcing the legislation, Van Duyne took particular aim at states that may not comply with the stricter licensing and monitoring standards. She said they will "suffer severe penalties."
“It is time to end the danger posed by illegal immigrant and foreign national truck drivers who are not capable of safely operating an 18-wheel commercial vehicle or, in many cases, understanding English language warning signs and road instructions,” said Van Duyne.
“People in Texas, Florida, and many other states have lost their lives because we have third-world truck drivers menacing our roadways and creating deadly situations on American highways – this must end! To any state bothered by these new rules and proposed legislation, do our country a favor and stop endangering the lives of Americans with your reckless actions or suffer the consequences of having federal highway funds removed.”
