Press Releases

Dalilah’s Law Moves Forward to Enhance Roadway Safety and Driver Accountability

Washington, March 18, 2026 | Caroline French

Tags: Transportation , Immigration

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed H.R. 5688, Dalilah's Law, introduced by Chairman David Rouzer (NC-07), sending the legislation to the House Floor.

The legislation strengthens Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) requirements to end the issuance of CDLs to illegal immigrants who lack the English proficiency, road-rule knowledge, and safety skills needed to safely operate CMVs. The legislation also includes a provision from Rep. Dave Taylor’s (OH-02) Connor's Law requiring English Language Proficiency for all CDL holders.

Dalilah’s Law is named in honor of Dalilah Coleman, the 5-year-old girl who was struck and severely injured by an illegal alien driving a semi-truck. Dalilah was a guest of President Trump at this year’s State of the Union address, where the President called for Congress to block illegal and unqualified immigrants from obtaining a CDL in the United States. The accident that caused Dalilah’s injury is only one example of recent incidents caused by drivers who were not qualified to operate on our nation’s roadways.

“Today we’re one step closer to safer roads for Dalilah Coleman, her family, and all Americans,” said Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (NC-07), lead sponsor of the legislation. “Ensuring each truck driver is qualified and legally operating will protect the public from these tragic, yet preventable accidents. I want to thank Chairman Graves, Secretary Duffy, and my colleagues for their support and swift action in advancing this critical legislation. I look forward to working to get this bill through the House and Senate to answer President Trump’s call to restore public trust on our roadways.”

Chairman David Rouzer meets with Dalilah Coleman and her family on March 18, 2026.

Dalilah's Law, was developed in direct coordination with the White House, Department of Transportation, and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and includes the following key provisions:

Ensuring all CDL holders understand English, road 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, through 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.

Background:

H.R. 5688 was first introduced by Chairman Rouzer on October 3, 2025, as the Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act, ends the reckless policy of granting commercial driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who lack the English proficiency and road-rule knowledge needed to safely operate massive commercial vehicles on our highways.

The bill parallels efforts by President Trump and Transportation Secretary Duffy to crack down on this safety crisis that was fueled by the open border policies of the Biden Administration, and it codifies many of the Administration’s actions to ensure safety on the nation’s roads.

Statements of support from House Republican leaders, numerous organizations representing truckers, trucking comanpies, and supply chain groups is available here.

You can find the bill text of Dalilah’s Law here.

Watch Chairman Rouzer's opening statement remarks here.