Roadway Safety Bill Inspired by Bakersfield Family Clears Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved Dalilah's Law, a measure led in-part by Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) to strengthen Commercial Driver's License (CDL) requirements, ensure commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers are properly trained and meet safety standards, require CMV drivers to be able to read and understand the English language, and prevent unqualified and illegal immigrants that could pose a significant safety hazard from obtaining a CDL through lax enforcement by states.

This legislation was inspired by Dalilah Coleman, a five-year-old girl from Bakersfield who suffered life-altering injuries in June 2024 when an illegal immigrant driving an eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer caused a six-car pileup. She endured a traumatic brain injury, skull fractures, a broken femur, and weeks in a coma. Today, she lives with permanent neurological damage and requires lifelong care due to an entirely preventable tragedy. This is only one example of recent incidents caused by drivers who were not qualified to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle and should not have been given CDLs.

"It's simple, those who cannot read the signs on our highways or understand the rules of the road have no business getting behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound vehicle. Ensuring each truck driver is qualified and legally operating should be commonsense," said Congressman Fong. "I've had the privilege of getting to know Dalilah and her family; through unimaginable hardship, the Colemans have remained grounded in faith and determined to turn their pain into purpose. I am committed to protecting Americans and increasing roadway safety so no other family endures what they have."

During the Committee's markup of the bill, Congressman Fong introduced Dalilah and her family, and gave brief remarks on the importance of this issue. You can watch those remarks here. Specifically, Dalilah's Law would improve safety and CDL policies by:

• Ensuring all CDL holders understand English, roads signs, and law enforcement officers;
• Placing drivers who fail to meet the Law's requirements and safety standards out-of-service;
• Requiring states to verify that they are not issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants;
• Significantly increasing penalties for states failing to comply with the Law, by withholding of Federal funds;
• Banning shady foreign dispatch services and brokers, who have fueled a surge in freight fraud and cargo theft; and
• Cracking down on "CDL mills" to ensure drivers entering the industry are receiving adequate training.

Statements of support from numerous groups representing truckers, trucking companies, and supply chain groups in the United States are available here.

After getting to know Dalilah and her father following the State of the Union, Congressman Fong joined his colleagues in introducing legislation to increase roadway safety standards and ensuring those operating commercial trucks on America's roads are qualified to do so. Much of their bill was adopted into this version of Dalilah's Law. You can learn more about that bill here.