Overview
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said $40,685,225 in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grants will be withheld after DOT determined California is not enforcing English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.
- DOT says California must adopt and actively enforce a compatible state measure that includes English assessments during inspections and out‑of‑service orders for drivers who do not meet the standard.
- California officials dispute the finding, arguing the state’s licensing process already requires English proficiency and noting its commercial driver fatal crash rate is well below the national average.
- The crackdown follows an August Florida crash involving driver Harjinder Singh, now charged with vehicular homicide, and FMCSA audits that flagged systemic state‑level gaps; DOT previously paused California’s non‑domiciled CDL issuances.
- Since English violations were reinstated in the out‑of‑service criteria on June 25 after President Trump’s April order, news analyses report roughly 5,500–6,000 drivers have been taken off the road, and DOT has warned California it could face up to $160 million more in cuts if it does not comply.