An Indiana senator earlier this week introduced legislation that would make substantial changes in who can be issued a commercial driver’s license.
The bill by Republican Sen. Jim Banks came the day after the State of the Unions Address during which President Donald Trump called for its passage. Named the Dalilah Law, it recognizes Dalilah Coleman, a 5-year-old who was seriously injured during a 2024 crash involving a tractor-trailer driven by a man said tio have entered the U.S. illegally and was issued a non-domiciled CDL by California. The youngster was a special guest at the State of the Union address.
The Dalilah Law would require states to take the following action items as a condition of receiving Department of Transportation funding:
- Limit trucking licenses to United States citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain work visa holders only
- Revoke all trucking licenses currently issued to illegal aliens and aliens with temporary status, whether or not such persons have work authorization
- Offer CDL knowledge and skill tests in English only
“Too many people have been hurt. Too many have been killed. Americans are paying the price because illegal drivers are being handed commercial driver’s licenses like candy and put behind the wheel of 80,000-pound trucks,” said Banks.”That stops now. The Dalilah Law makes it clear: if you are here illegally, you do not get a CDL. We need to act and we need to act now.”
Banks’s law is the latest effort by the Trump administration to force states to limit access to CDLs by non-citizens. For the past eight months or so, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called out several states for issuing non-domiciled CDLs to drivers who entered the country illegally.
Thje issue has captured national media attention in the wake of sveral high-profile fatal accidents involving truckers with non-domiciled CDLs.
Read the full textof Banks’ legislation here.
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