ELP News Updates

“To lawfully operate a commercial motor vehicle in Oklahoma, you must be here legally and you must be able to understand English," Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a Nov. 4 statement.

“The safety of our state is our top priority, and we’ll keep working with our federal partners to keep Hoosiers — and Americans — safe,” Gov. Mike Braun said.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy has accused California of having the most “egregious” licensing situation of any state, with 25% of its non-domiciled CDLs in violation of federal rules.

Members of Congress are urging DOT to investigate so-called CDL mills and enforce English proficiency rules as part of broader efforts to improve driver training and highway safety.

Sponsored primarily by Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.), the SAFE Drivers Act is meant to guarantee commercial drivers have a proficient understanding of English.

The 2025 ATRI Top Industry Issues report, released Oct. 26, found that the economy was the top concern among industry stakeholders for the third year in a row.

New Mexico, Washington and California were warned by DOT Secretary Sean Duffy to enforce English-language proficiency regulations or face withholding of up to 100% of the funds.

Since the start of the year, freight stakeholders have praised White House efforts on workforce reforms while pressing for additional recruitment and retention efforts.

“California does require ELP and tests for it as a condition of receiving a CDL, and you can read that for yourself,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a social media post.