Sean Duffy Threatens Federal Funding Over Truck Driver English Proficiency

Federal Mandate on English Proficiency for Truck Drivers

• ⚠️ Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is threatening to withhold federal highway funding from states that do not require commercial truck drivers to demonstrate English proficiency.
• 🎯 This mandate aims to ensure drivers can understand road signs and instructions, thereby improving public safety.

States Called Out for Non-Compliance

• 🚨 Duffy specifically named California, Washington, and New Mexico as states failing to enforce existing language proficiency rules for commercial licenses.
• 🗓️ These states have been given 30 days to develop corrective plans to comply with the Department of Transportation's updated guidelines.
• 🚫 Failure to comply could result in the loss of federal funds provided under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program.

Context and Recent Incidents

• 🚗 The announcement follows a fatal crash in Florida where the truck driver involved was accused of failing an English proficiency test after the incident.
• ⚖️ The driver in the Florida crash is also accused of being in the country illegally, and California Governor Gavin Newsom noted the driver entered the US during the Trump administration.