Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Tuesday that California, Washington and New Mexico could lose millions in federal safety funds if they fail to enforce English-language requirements for truck drivers. The states were given 30 days to comply before the Department of Transportation withholds money from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.
“States don’t get to pick and choose which federal safety rules to follow,” Duffy said in a press release. “As we saw with the horrific Florida crash that killed three, when states fail to enforce the law, they put the driving public in danger.”
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Three states could lose more than $50 million in Department of Transportation funding if they do not begin enforcing English-language proficiency rules.
An investigation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that the three states were not properly removing drivers from the road for failing to meet English standards. In California, inspectors conducted about 34,000 checks since late June, but only one driver was taken out of service for lacking proficiency in English. Washington reported four out-of-service orders out of more than 6,000 inspections, while New Mexico did not issue any.
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Officials also found that all three states allowed drivers with prior violations in other states to continue operating.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), California allowed at least 23 such drivers, Washington allowed four and New Mexico allowed seven — all previously ordered off the road for failing English proficiency tests.
What prompted the crackdown?
The action follows a deadly crash in Florida that killed three people. Investigators said the driver, Harjinder Singh, answered only two of 12 questions on an English test, failed additional exams and still managed to obtain licenses in Washington and California. He was stopped in New Mexico a month before the crash, but authorities there did not test him for English proficiency. Singh has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide along with immigration violations.
Federal officials have not said whether Singh’s limited English skills directly caused the crash, which occurred after he allegedly made an illegal U-turn. But they pointed to the case as evidence of gaps in enforcement.
They stressed that truck drivers must be able to read road signs, respond to police and communicate basic information during stops or crashes.
How much funding is at stake?
According to DOT officials, California could lose roughly $33 million, Washington $10.5 million and New Mexico $7 million.
Duffy described the action as an initial measure and said additional steps could follow if the states remain out of compliance.
What is required under the rules?
The English language standard requires commercial drivers to demonstrate the ability to speak and read English well enough to converse with the public, understand highway signs, respond to law enforcement and complete required reports.
States must enforce those requirements to continue receiving federal safety grants.
How are groups responding?
The American Trucking Associations praised Duffy’s announcement.
“Federal English Language Proficiency requirements exist for a reason: every commercial driver operating in the United States must be able to read road signs, communicate with law enforcement, and understand safety instructions,” the association’s president, Chris Spear, said.
For now, DOT officials say the priority is compliance, not punishment.
“We do not want to penalize the states,” said Jesse Ellison, chief counsel of the safety assistance program. “We want the states to comply and to enforce the English language proficiency requirement.”
