Congressman Patronis Advances “Dalilah’s Law” to Ensure English Proficiency for CDL Licenses
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Patronis voted to advance H.R. 5688, Dalilah’s Law, through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill requires all commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants to demonstrate English proficiency on America’s highways.
Congressman Patronis said, “Every American deserves to feel safe on the road.Operating an 80,000-pound truck is a serious responsibility. If you can’t read signs or communicate in English, you shouldn’t be behind the wheel. Dalilah’s Law is about common sense and protecting the American people.”
The legislation bears the name of Dalilah Coleman, the 5-year-old girl who was critically injured by a semi-truck driven by an illegal immigrant. She later attended this year’s State of the Union as a guest where the President called on Congress to block unqualified and unlawful drivers from obtaining CDLs.
“This tragedy should never have happened,” said Congressman Patronis. “Because of President Trump’s leadership, this issue is finally getting the attention it deserves. No child should suffer the way Dalilah did.”
Dalilah’s Law builds on steps already taken in Florida, where the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles now administers all driver’s license tests exclusively in English.
Congressman Patronis continued, “Florida is leading with common-sense policies. We can’t undo every tragedy, but we can prevent the next one and ensure what happened to Dalilah never happens again.”
To view the Congressman’s statement before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, click here.
Dalilah’s Law, improves safety by:
- Requiring drivers to understand English and basic road rules
- Allowing unsafe drivers to be taken off the road
- Cracking down on fraud in the trucking system
The legislation has been favorably voted out of committee and is now eligible to move to the House floor for consideration.
Read the bill text of Dalilah’s Law here.
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