The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will review Dalilah’s Law, a bill aimed at strengthening Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) requirements in the United States, during a markup session scheduled for March 18. The legislation is led by Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer and seeks to ensure that commercial motor vehicle drivers are properly trained, meet safety standards, and can read and understand English.
The proposed law is intended to address concerns about unqualified drivers and illegal immigrants obtaining CDLs through insufficient state enforcement. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said, "I’m grateful to our strong House Republican leadership for putting Americans first. Representative Rouzer’s bill, Dalilah’s Law, codifies a simple premise: no English, no license. Unqualified and unvetted foreigners have no business getting behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound vehicle and killing innocent American families. President Trump was clear: pass Dalilah’s Law and safeguard American roads.”
The markup will be chaired by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves in the Rayburn House Office Building. The session will be webcast live for public viewing.
Dalilah’s Law proposes several measures including requiring all CDL holders to understand English, road signs, and law enforcement officers; placing out-of-service orders on drivers who do not meet these standards; mandating states verify they are not issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants; increasing penalties for non-compliant states by withholding federal funds; banning certain foreign dispatch services linked to freight fraud; and cracking down on inadequate training programs known as “CDL mills.”
Statements of support from House Republican leaders as well as groups representing truckers, trucking companies, supply chain organizations, and American Truckers United have been made available online.
Observers say the outcome of this markup could impact road safety regulations nationwide as lawmakers debate stricter controls over commercial driver licensing.
