A new piece of legislation seeks to establish a standardized test to ensure truckers are proficient in English has been introduced. It's joined by one which would require all weigh stations on interstate highways to check truckers' commercial driver's licenses for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers.
Additionally, a Texas congressman has proposed legislation that would withhold fe3deral law enforcement-related funds if they issue CDLs to illegal immigrants.
However, the bills will not receive any action while the government is shutdown.
North Carolina Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan and cosponsors Rep. Troy Nehls, a Republican from Texas and Missouri Republican Rep. Bob Onder last week introduced the Standardized Assessment for Fluency in English for Drivers Act (SAFE Drivers Act). The legislation seeks to establish a uniform English proficiency test for all commercial driver's license applicants nationwide.
A statement announcing the legislation said while current federal regulations require commercial drivers to have basic English proficiency, there is no standardized test to verify it. States apply the rule unevenly, creating dangerous enforcement gaps, according to the statement from Harrigan.
The legislation also mandates that states submit annual reports to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration detailing the number of CDL applicants, test pass rates, and compliance data.
The SAFE Drivers Act also requires the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to develop a uniform English proficiency test to be administered during CDL issuance and renewal in every state. The test would assess a driver's ability to read road signs, understand spoken instructions, and complete written reports.
The bill also allows the Secretary of Transportation to withhold federal highway funds from states that fail to comply.
"If you can't read 'Bridge Out Ahead' or communicate with a state trooper at a crash scene, you have no business driving an 80,000-pound truck on American highways," said Congressman Harrigan. "We have federal rules that require English proficiency, but no standardized test to enforce them, so states like California hand out commercial licenses to drivers who can't understand basic safety instructions. The SAFE Drivers Act fixes that by requiring one uniform English test nationwide before any CDL is issued. No more guesswork, no more state-by-state loopholes, just one standard that keeps Americans safe."
The SAFE Drivers Act is unlikely to reach the House floor for a vote until lawmakers resolve the ongoing government shutdown.
Florida rep introduces WEIGH Act
Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds recently introduced legislation requiring personnel at weigh stations on interstate highways to check the validity of drivers' CDL and their ability to speak English proficiently.
"The Weigh Station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act"
empowers the Department of Transportation to utilize weigh stations along interstate highways to ensure states enforce English language proficiency requirements and review CDLs for irregularities during checks at weigh stations. States that fail to comply with weigh station enforcement protocols set by the Secretary of Transportation will risk revocation of their CDL program authority and federal highway funds.
“The failure of states to enforce basic and commonsense requirements for truckers is putting every American motorist at risk," said Donalds. "Safety must be the standard, not the exception, and on Capitol Hill I’m fighting to ensure that the American people are put first every step of the way. The elimination of these threats to the American people is non-negotiable.”
Bill prohibits CDLs for illegal immigrants
Rep. Jodey Arrington, a Republican from Texas, introduced the Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act, which aims to prevent states from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and ensure state/local entities cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement. And, it threatens to withhold law enforcement funds from those states that do not comply.
“My Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act will bar rogue states from issuing licenses to illegal immigrants and force states and localities to cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement so we can put the safety and security of Americans first," said Arrington.
Under current law, 19 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses with only a foreign birth certificate or passport and proof of residency, according to Arrington's statement about the proposed legislation
The bill, if it becomes law, would: prohibit states that issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants from receiving a specific Department of Justice law enforcement grant, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.
The JAG grant is the leading source of federal law enforcement funding to the states. The funds provide for state criminal justice initiatives, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, technical assistance, and criminal justice information systems.
Arrington;s bill also requires state and local entities to cooperate and provide all requested information to Department of Homeland Security immigration officials
