Congress·In Committee·S. 3917

Sen. Banks Introduces The Dalilah Law to Ban Non-Citizens From Holding Commercial Driver’s Licenses

The Dalilah Law

17 days ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Key Points

This bill, known as The Dalilah Law, would stop states from giving commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. It makes small exceptions for people with specific types of work visas, but generally limits who can legally drive large trucks and buses.
If passed, every person who currently holds a commercial license would have to return to the DMV within 180 days to prove their citizenship or legal status. During this check, they must also prove they are proficient in English and have passed all their driving tests in English.
The bill requires all commercial driving tests—including written exams and road tests—to be given only in English. States would be prohibited from offering these tests in any other language, and any driver who cannot pass in English would have their license revoked.
Any individual caught driving a commercial vehicle without the required citizenship, residency, or work visa would face a lifetime ban from operating commercial vehicles in the United States.
States that refuse to follow these rules or fail to re-check their current drivers would lose all of their federal transportation funding. This means money for highway repairs, bridges, and local transit projects would be cut off until the state complies with the new requirements.

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Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 25, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

180 days after enactment

States must finish recertifying all existing CDL holders

Every commercial driver in the country would need to visit their state licensing office within 180 days to prove their citizenship or legal status, English proficiency, and that they passed exams in English. Drivers who fail or don't show up lose their licenses.

First fiscal year after enactment

States that don't comply start losing all federal transportation funding

If a state misses the recertification deadline or continues issuing CDLs to ineligible individuals or offering exams in languages other than English, the federal government would cut off all transportation funding to that state — affecting road repairs, bridges, and transit projects.

Related News

3 articles

FreightWaves·17 days ago

The Dalilah Law could create a trucking rate super cycle

The Dalilah Law could trigger a sharp contraction in trucking capacity by revoking thousands of CDLs held by undocumented individuals. The bill mandates English-only testing and a 180-day recertification window, potentially removing 16% of the workforce and surging freight rates.

Ripon Advance·8 days ago

GOP members unveil bill to bar illegal immigrants from obtaining commercial driver's licenses

GOP lawmakers introduced H.R. 7793, the Dalilah Law, to prohibit undocumented immigrants from obtaining CDLs. The bill requires states to limit licenses to citizens and legal residents as a condition for federal funding and mandates that all CDL exams be administered exclusively in English.

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Truck News·16 days ago

Senator introduces bill to remove all truck drivers in US illegally

Sen. Jim Banks introduced 'The Dalilah Law' to mandate states remove truck drivers in the U.S. illegally. The bill requires recertification of all CDL holders within 180 days, including English proficiency checks, and mandates all testing be conducted in English only.