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If you’re hauling freight on America’s highways, safety isn’t optional. It’s the price of admission.
That principle is at the heart of Dalilah’s Law, which the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed today.
Backed by President Trump during last month’s State of the Union, this legislation reinforces a fundamental principle: only properly trained and qualified professionals should be behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound truck. It strengthens safety standards, ensures drivers can understand and communicate in English, and closes loopholes that have allowed unqualified or improperly licensed individuals to slip through the cracks — making roads safer for everyone.
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Dalilah’s Law is named for a young girl whose life was forever changed by a preventable crash involving an undocumented immigrant behind the wheel of a commercial truck.
Speeding through a construction zone, this reckless driver hit the car five-year-old Dalilah Coleman was traveling in, leaving her with permanent disabilities that will require lifelong care. It is a devastating example of what happens when safety standards are not upheld or enforced.
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Only properly trained and qualified professionals should be behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound truck. Dalilah Coleman’s story is a painful reminder of what’s at stake when we fall short.
In the years following COVID-19, a surge in freight demand brought an influx of opportunity seekers into our industry. While many answered the call responsibly, others chased quick profits without respecting the safety standards on which the industry depends. When enforcement slips, safety suffers. And that’s when tragedies like Dalilah’s happen. We saw it in Florida. We saw it in California. We saw it in Indiana.
Dalilah’s Law addresses these gaps head-on.
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It ensures consistent enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements during roadside inspections and makes clear that drivers who cannot meet those standards should be placed out of service. It modernizes the driver record notification system, so motor carriers are promptly alerted if a driver’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) has been revoked, suspended, or is otherwise invalid. And it requires the Department of Transportation to strengthen oversight of training providers, ensuring new drivers receive the instruction they need to operate safely.
Just as importantly, it reinforces accountability across the CDL system. States play a central role in issuing licenses, and consistent, rigorous enforcement is critical. By closing gaps and improving coordination, this legislation helps remove bad actors from the road while supporting the vast majority who are doing the job the right way.
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This is what it looks like when government and industry work together to fix a real problem. President Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Rep. David Rouzer, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have answered the call to strengthen roadway safety.
By closing gaps and improving coordination, this legislation helps remove bad actors from the road while supporting the vast majority who are doing the job the right way. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
At its core, trucking is about trust. Americans trust that the goods they rely on will arrive safely. They trust that the trucks they share the road with are operated by qualified professionals. And they trust that the system overseeing this industry is working as it should.
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Dalilah’s story is a painful reminder of what’s at stake when we fall short. This legislation is our opportunity to make sure we don’t.
There’s no room for shortcuts when lives are on the line. Congress must pass Dalilah’s Law.
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