Joco Today

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall has introduced the Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) English Proficiency Act, a bill requiring commercial vehicle operators to demonstrate English proficiency before obtaining a CMV license. The legislation aims to ensure that those operating large vehicles on American roads can understand road signs and communicate with law enforcement.

Senator Marshall stated, "Common sense would tell us that anyone driving on American roads, especially those operating large trucks and trailers, should be capable of understanding what the road signs say or how to communicate with police." He added that Kansans deserve high safety standards for commercial operators and expressed pride in introducing the legislation.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi. Senator Hyde-Smith emphasized the importance of English proficiency for truck drivers, stating, "English proficiency for commercial truck drivers isn’t just practical; it can be a matter of life and death." She criticized previous administrations for not enforcing this regulation and expressed support for the new legislation as a measure to improve roadway safety.

The proposed law mandates testing CMV applicants on their ability to read traffic signs, communicate in English with law enforcement, and exchange information in English. The tests are required to be conducted exclusively in English.

This legislative effort follows an executive order from former President Trump aimed at strengthening enforcement of English language requirements for drivers and reversing guidance from the Obama administration that relaxed these requirements.