New bill would require English proficiency tests for commercial drivers

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., is leading an effort to make English proficiency an enforceable prerequisite for commercial drivers following fatal crashes caused by illegal immigrants who skirted language requirements.

“If you can’t read ‘bridge ahead’ or communicate with a police officer at the scene of an accident, you have no business driving an 80,000-pound truck on America’s highways,” Harrigan said.

On Wednesday morning, Harrigan unveiled the SAFE Drivers Act alongside cosponsors Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Rep. Bob Onder, Missouri.

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 22, 2025. (Tom Williams/Getty)

The bill would direct states to administer English proficiency tests to applicants seeking a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and grant the Secretary of Transportation increased powers to oversee compliance.

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If the Secretary determines that a State has not implemented the standard, the bill provides the State with the ability to deny funding for other aspects of its commercial conduct program.

The bill also includes reporting requirements that states must submit annually to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, detailing the number of potential, successful and compliant applicants.

“The SAFE Drivers Act (requires) a uniform English language test across the country before a CDL is issued. No more guesswork, no more state-by-state loopholes, just one standard that keeps Americans safe,” Harrigan said.

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The SAFE Drivers Act follows the Trump administration’s decision to withhold $40 million from California after Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old illegal immigrant, struck and killed three people after making an illegal U-turn in Florida in August. California, where Singh obtained the CDL, had refused to impose English language requirements, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Harjinder Singh, 28, was arrested after allegedly making an unauthorized U-turn in Florida last week, leading to a crash that left three people dead, officials said. (St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office)

In another case, Jashanpreet Singh, 22, an illegal immigrant who crossed the southern border, allegedly crashed into a traffic jam on Wednesday while intoxicated. He, too, received a CDL from California – after being released from prison during the Biden administration.

Duffy said existing requirements should have prevented a CDL from being administered in either case.

“The U.S. Department of Transportation has put THOUSANDS of commercial drivers out of service because they didn’t speak English. We are now withholding $40 MILLION from California for its refusal to do the same. TIME IS UP,” Duffy wrote. in a message addressed to X.

Harrigan’s bill isn’t the only piece of legislation that seeks to give Duffy improved enforcement mechanisms. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., introduced a bill earlier this month that would consider drivers “off-duty” if they don’t meet driving requirements. Harrigan’s bill differs from Lummis’ bill by implementing the language requirement prior to granting the CDL license.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy testifies during a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee at the Rayburn House office building in Washington, May 14, 2025. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

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“We have federal rules that require English proficiency, but no standardized testing to enforce them, so states like California are handing out commercial licenses to drivers who don’t understand basic safety instructions,” Harrigan said.

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Like other pieces of legislation, the SAFE Drivers Act likely won’t come up for a vote until lawmakers resolve the 23-day shutdown and impasse over how to fund the federal government. Consideration of a short-term spending bill failed for the 12th time in the Senate on Wednesday.