New CDL Testing Legislation Aims to Set English Requirements
WASHINGTON — A group of bills in the U.S. Senate is making efforts to require that all commercial driver’s license (CDL) testing be done only in English for truck drivers.
The latest proposal, called the Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act, was introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on Thursday. This bill makes it mandatory for all tests related to issuing or renewing a CDL to be in English. It also gives the Transportation Secretary the power to stop a state from issuing non-domiciled CDLs if they do not follow federal rules. Additionally, it requires people to hold a regular driver’s license for one year before they can apply for a CDL.
Representative Andy Barr (R-Ky.) has introduced a similar bill in the House.
“For everyone’s safety, it’s important that drivers can read and understand English road signs. Our bill would require commercial drivers to take their tests in English,” Cotton said in a press release.
Cotton and Barr’s bill has support from Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). It combines two earlier CDL proposals from Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Senator Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) into one comprehensive bill that includes a one-year waiting period.
If this bill faces delays because of disagreements about immigration issues, parts of it could be removed and added to a simpler bill by Marshall, which also requires that the CDL knowledge test be in English.
This group of bills on CDL English tests aligns with efforts in the House and Senate to ensure that truck drivers can speak English well enough to drive safely.
Connor’s Law, introduced in the House in May and in the Senate earlier this week, states that people must be able to “read and speak English well enough to talk with the public, understand road signs in English, answer questions from officials, and fill out reports” to get a commercial driver’s license. This law also reinforces guidelines for drivers who fail to meet English proficiency standards, which were updated this year.
