Iowa House passes bill requiring truck drivers to pass English proficiency test for license

Tractor trailers sit parked in a row at a truck stop in Bloomsbury, N.J. (Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch
March 31, 2026

The Iowa House passed a bill Tuesday to require commercial truck drivers take an English proficiency test in order to get their license.

Senate File 2426, passed 68-24, adds a new requirement for applicants seeking or renewing a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to meet English proficiency standards through a computer-based exam. The test must only be passed once, and can be retaken. If a driver is found to not be proficient in English while operating a commercial vehicle, they are subject to a serious misdemeanor charge and a civil penalty of $1,000.

Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, brought up multiple examples of commercial vehicle crashes caused by drivers who failed English language proficiency tests that resulted in multiple deaths in states like Florida and California.

“Unfortunately, we have seen many recent and very public examples of tragic, preventable crashes involving commercial motor vehicles — 80,000-pound vehicles driven by individuals who cannot speak, read, or understand the English language,” Meyer said.

While English proficiency requirements are already codified in federal law, Meyer said this measure was not enforced from 2016 until 2025, as it had been blocked by a court order. She said beginning last summer, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy began enforcing the measure “back in force.”

In that time, she said, about 500 drivers have been pulled over on the road in Iowa who have been found to not meet English proficiency standards. While officers can give drivers an “out of service” order requiring them to cease driving, Meyer said the current standards are “based on the honor system.”

“When the officer drives away, what’s happening a lot of times is that driver’s getting back in the truck and moving that load,” Meyer said.

She said requiring the test to be taken in order to obtain a license is a preventative measure to keep these drivers off the road.

“By first requiring English language proficiency when issuing CDLs and then giving law enforcement the ability to level significant penalties and fines against carriers, we can really make a difference, removing these bad actors from Iowa roadways,” Meyer said. “In my opinion, a vote against this bill is a vote against Iowans and Iowa roadway safety.”

The bill was amended by the House to add additional penalties on commercial motor carriers — the trucking companies — for employing drivers who are not English language proficient. Businesses found employing or contracting with a person who does not meet language requirements would be subject to a simple misdemeanor charge and a fine of $10,000 for each violation under the bill.

Rep. Elizabeth Wilson, D-Marion, questioned why the amendment lessened the charge from a “serious” to “simple” misdemeanor for these companies, saying the provision is letting carriers “off the hook” for negligent employment decisions that could result in accidents.

Meyer said the change came because, in many cases, the state would face difficulties getting out-of-state truck drivers and carriers into Iowa to serve jail time. Instead, she said, the bill seeks enforcement by “hitting them in their pocketbook” through an increased $10,000 fine, alongside issuing an “out of service” order stating they cannot operate in Iowa.

Wilson said she appreciated the increased financial penalty for carriers being added to the bill. She said she disagreed with some provisions targeting drivers, but ultimately encouraged other Democrats to support the measure because of the added enforcement measures on trucking companies.

“I do think that what we need to hold accountable here are the carriers,” Wilson said. “Because it’s the carriers that really are the bad actors, taking advantage of people just trying to make a living for their families and do right by their families and be productive citizens.”

However, other Democrats disagreed with the characterization that higher fines and lower criminal charges were the best way to address problems with trucking companies found to employ people in violation of language requirements. Rep. Angel Ramirez, D-Cedar Rapids, said by removing the serious misdemeanor charge, “what this body just passed was a literal ‘get out of jail’ free card.”

The measure returns to the Senate for further consideration.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.