WYOMING — Wyoming Governor Mark Gordan has signed a bill into law allowing any peace officer to enforce English Language Proficiency standards for truckers.
“This is what Wyoming Highway Patrol, and our commercial vehicle section, and our inspectors do every day,” said Colonel Timothy Cameron, Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) administrator. “This is something we already do. But now what (the bill) does is it leverages all the law enforcement assets in the state to most importantly identify people that jeopardize public safety.”
Command staff for the WHP were on hand Thursday for the signing of House Bill 32 (HB0032). The bill effectively gives authority for members of Wyoming law enforcement to enforce federal English Language Proficiency regulations (Title 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2)).
English Language ProficiencyÂ
Under the current regulations, any commercial driver who is found not to be proficient in English according to federal standards will be put out of service – meaning they will not be allowed to continue driving their commercial vehicle. Those regulations were originally only enforceable by members of the WHP and its commercial carrier section.
“Generally speaking, the purpose of the regulations is to ensure all commercial drivers can communicate with other drivers and read road signage and emergency communication billboards,” WHP said. “With Governor Mark Gordon’s signing into law, any peace officer in Wyoming can now help ensure our roadways are safer.”
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.
