The Dalilah Law

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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