Full Committee Markup (March 18, 2026)

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republicans held a full committee markup on March 18, 2026, to consider HR 5688, known as Delilah's Law. The legislation aims to enhance safety on U.S. roadways by tightening commercial driver's license (CDL) issuance requirements, particularly focusing on English language proficiency and legal status verification to prevent unqualified and illegal immigrant drivers from operating commercial vehicles. The bill codifies prior executive actions, mandates English-only CDL exams, limits nondomiciled CDLs to one year or less based on authorized stay, and requires clean driving records. Several amendments were proposed and debated, including those addressing due process for drivers disqualified for English proficiency failures and protections for legally authorized workers such as DACA recipients and refugees. The committee voted to approve the bill as amended, with recorded votes on key amendments reflecting partisan divisions. The bill was favorably reported to the House for further consideration. The discussion also highlighted concerns about CDL mills, state compliance with federal licensing standards, and the impact of the bill on the trucking workforce and public safety.