WASHINGTON — “Dalilah’s Law” passed the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday.
The bill, introduced Rep. David Rouzer, is supported by the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, National Tank Truck Carriers and state trucking associations across the country.
Background
In June 2024, five-year-old Dalilah Coleman suffered catastrophic, life-altering injuries when an illegal immigrant driving an eighteen-wheeler caused a six-car pileup. She endured a traumatic brain injury, skull fractures, a broken femur and weeks in a coma. While Coleman survived her injuries, she lives with permanent neurological damage and requires lifelong care.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an Indian national, Partap Singh crossed into the United States illegally through the Mexico border in 2022, was arrested after allegedly causing the crash.
Dalilah and her father were recognized during President Trump’s State of the Union address, during which he called for a federal ban on states issuing CDLs to individuals who lack legal status, with strict English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements so drivers can read road signs and communicate with law enforcement.
The bill, H.R. 5688, is named in her honor.
OOIDA
“No family should ever have to endure the kind of tragedy that nearly took Dalilah Coleman’s life and inspired Dalilah’s Law,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA president. “OOIDA and truckers across America strongly support Chairman Rouzer’s Dalilah’s Law. This legislation represents a major step forward for highway safety and the integrity of the trucking profession. We thank Chairman Rouzer for his leadership and for listening to the concerns of America’s small-business truckers as this legislation was refined. Dalilah’s Law builds on Trump Administration reforms to ensure that anyone operating an 80,000-pound truck on America’s highways is properly vetted, proficient in English, and holds carriers accountable to the highest professional standards.
Strengthening Federal Oversight
“By strengthening federal oversight and certification requirements for CDL training providers, this bill takes direct aim at the ‘CDL mill’ problem that has allowed unqualified drivers onto our roads,” Spencer said. “Congress must now pass Dalilah’s Law to turn the page on decades of cheap labor policies informed by a false ‘trucker driver shortage’ narrative and make clear that safety, not corporate profit, comes first on America’s highways.”
American Trucking Associations (ATA)
“For those hauling freight on America’s highways, safety is not optional—it is the price of admission,” said Chris Spear, ATA president, CEO. “The trucking industry is grateful to members of the House T&I Committee for reaffirming this principle by passing Dalilah’s Law. This legislation would protect the overwhelming majority of motor carriers and truck drivers who are committed to upholding the highest standards.”
Consistent Reinforcement
“Rules are only effective when they are consistently enforced,” Spear said. “Bad actors who cheat the system and cut corners undermine responsible fleets and create unacceptable hazards for everyone. Dalilah’s Law would restore accountability by establishing rigorous, consistent requirements for CDL testing, issuance, and oversight. This is an example of government and industry partnering together to fix a real problem. We applaud President Trump, Secretary Duffy, and Congressman Rouzer for answering the call to strengthen safety, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to get this bill across the finish line.”
According to ATA, among other provisions, Dalilah’s Law would improve roadway safety by:
- Ensuring consistent enforcement of English language proficiency requirements during roadside inspections and making clear that drivers who cannot meet those standards should be placed out of service.
- Modernizing the driver record notification system so motor carriers are promptly alerted if a driver’s CDL has been revoked, suspended, or is otherwise invalid.
- Requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation to strengthen oversight of training providers, ensuring new drivers receive the instruction they need to operate safely.
Authorized Workers Penalized
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Rick Larsen issued a statement on the passage over his concerns that while making roads safer is paramount, the bill could prevent legal drivers from working.
“Today’s advancement of H.R. 5688 was a departure from this committee’s bipartisan work,” Larsen said. “It is our responsibility on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to work to make our roads safer, but there is no indication this bill does that. Instead, it lays the entirety of the roadway safety epidemic at the feet of women and men who are safe drivers trying to make a living in a new home. In fact, the Trump administration’s own analysis cannot find the safety benefits of this policy. If this legislation is enacted, up to 200,000 drivers—who took the same credentialing and safety tests as U.S. citizens—will have their CDLs forcibly revoked and lose their job. For those reasons, I oppose H.R. 5688.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
