U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. voted in favor of H.R. 5688, known as Dalilah’s Law, during a House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure markup held on Mar. 18. The legislation passed out of committee by a vote of 35-26 and aims to ensure that all commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders in the United States understand English and that states do not issue CDLs to illegal immigrants.
Dalilah’s Law addresses concerns about road safety involving commercial drivers who may not meet legal or language requirements. Supporters say the measure is intended to protect communities and legitimate truck drivers by strengthening oversight over CDL issuance.
“Every week, we are seeing new instances of illegal immigrants ignoring our laws, injuring and killing innocent Americans on the road,” said Rep. Bresnahan. “We cannot sit by and watch as these stories persist, and I refuse to let this happen in Northeastern Pennsylvania. With five major interstates running through our district, NEPA sits at the crossroads of our nation’s supply chain, which means thousands of trucks are on our roads every day. At a minimum, truck drivers should be able to read road signs and follow our laws. This is about protecting our roads, our communities, and the hardworking truckers who play by the rules.”
The legislation is named after Dalilah Coleman, who was five years old when she was struck by an illegal immigrant driving a semi-truck resulting in permanent injuries. Dalilah and her family attended the committee markup where President Trump had previously called for passage of Dalilah’s Law at his State of the Union address last month.
Key provisions include requiring all CDL holders to understand English for reading road signs and communicating with law enforcement officers; placing out-of-service orders for drivers failing requirements; mandating state verification processes against issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants; increasing penalties for noncompliant states through federal funding withholdings; banning certain foreign dispatch services linked with freight fraud; and cracking down on so-called “CDL mills” that provide inadequate training.
Observers will be watching how this legislation progresses following its committee approval as it moves toward consideration by the full House.
