Overview
- Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy warned another $160 million in highway safety funds could be frozen unless California changes its commercial licensing practices and enforces roadside English assessments with immediate out‑of‑service orders for failures.
- Roughly 6,000 commercial drivers have been removed from service nationwide since June for failing English tests, according to a Washington Post analysis of FMCSA data.
- Texas recorded more than 500 sanctions over English proficiency in that period, while California reported seven despite conducting over 34,000 inspections under the new standard.
- DOT says California allowed 23 drivers with prior English‑related violations in other states to keep operating on its roads, a sign federal officials cite as insufficient enforcement.
- The May policy requires state officers to assess English during inspections, a process without a single national test that industry groups say is subjective and potentially exacerbates driver shortages as FMCSA continues investigating the August crash involving Harjinder Singh.