The Pennsylvania Senate has approved a package of commercial driver licensing and highway safety bills aimed at strengthening enforcement standards, cracking down on fraudulent CDL training operations, and addressing growing concerns surrounding nondomiciled commercial driver licenses and English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements.

The legislation, championed by Senate Transportation Committee Chair Judy Ward, follows a Senate Transportation Committee fact-finding hearing held in December that examined gaps in commercial driver training, licensing oversight, and federal compliance requirements.

“Whenever someone steps behind the wheel and drives on Pennsylvania’s roads, they need to know their safety and the safety of their passengers is secure,” said Ward. “In passing these pieces of legislation, we are giving drivers peace of mind that we are holding bad actors accountable and maintaining the highest standards of road safety across our commonwealth.”

For Pennsylvania’s trucking industry, the bills represent a step toward addressing concerns that PMTA members and carriers across the country have increasingly raised regarding roadway safety, CDL integrity, and uneven enforcement standards.

“Professional truck drivers and responsible motor carriers deserve a system that holds everyone to the same standard,” PMTA President & CEO Rebecca Oyler testified before the Senate Transportation Committee in December. “The CDL is the gateway to the trucking profession. It is the credential that assures employers, law enforcement, and the traveling public that a driver has met the minimum standards required to safely operate an 80,000-pound vehicle.”

Ending “CDL Mills”

Senate Bill 1294 would significantly increase penalties for unlicensed CDL training schools operating illegally in Pennsylvania.

Under the legislation, penalties for operating a public CDL school without authorization from the Pennsylvania Department of Education would increase from $2,500 to $25,000. The bill does not apply to private carriers that train their own drivers without a fee.

The issue has become increasingly important nationally following federal investigations into so-called “CDL mills” — training providers accused of failing to properly train drivers while still facilitating the issuance of commercial licenses.

Pennsylvania currently has about 40 licensed CDL schools, while more than 1,100 entities are listed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry, many of which may be exempt or unlicensed.

In her testimony, Oyler warned that weaknesses in oversight allow “unqualified drivers and noncompliant operators” to enter a safety-sensitive profession more easily than they should be able to.

She also noted that Pennsylvania’s current system creates a fragmented training environment where legitimate schools operate alongside providers that offer only minimal instruction.

English Language Proficiency and Nondomiciled CDL Oversight

Senate Bill 1295 addresses English Language Proficiency standards and nondomiciled CDL requirements.

Federal regulations already require commercial drivers to be able to read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and complete reports and records. The legislation would formally adopt those federal definitions into Pennsylvania law and require PennDOT to verify compliance.

The bill would:

• Require CDL knowledge testing to be conducted in English.
• Require PennDOT to verify lawful immigration status.
• Require nondomiciled CDL holders to meet federal ELP standards.
• Require license expiration dates to match authorized lawful presence periods.
• Require PennDOT to utilize the federal SAVE verification system.
• Increase penalties for falsifying CDL applications.

The legislation would also establish significant penalties for drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles in Pennsylvania without meeting English Language Proficiency requirements.

Under the bill:

• A first violation would constitute a misdemeanor offense carrying a $500 fine and a one-year CDL disqualification.
• A second or subsequent offense would result in a $1,000 fine and lifetime disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle.
• Employers and prime contractors who are convicted could face penalties of up to $3,000 for violations.

The legislation also outlines enforcement procedures for vehicles placed out of service due to ELP violations.

If the truck is owned by a motor carrier, the employer would be notified and permitted to send a qualified driver to retrieve the vehicle. If the truck is owned by the driver, law enforcement would seize the registration plate and impound the truck until PennDOT authorizes its release.

In addition, the bill would require nondomiciled CDL holders to present evidence of lawful immigration status, require PennDOT to verify documentation through the federal SAVE system, prohibit licenses issued without verified identifying information, and limit license validity periods to the duration of lawful presence or one year, whichever is shorter.

These issues gained heightened attention following several high-profile crashes nationally involving nondomiciled CDL holders, including a fatal crash in Indiana involving a Pennsylvania-issued nondomiciled CDL.

PMTA has long supported strong enforcement against unsafe carriers and drivers, while also emphasizing the importance of consistent enforcement standards and due process protections.

Oyler testified that inconsistent federal and state standards have undermined confidence in the CDL system nationwide.

“Commercial driving is an interstate profession,” Oyler told lawmakers. “The CDL system works best when core standards — such as lawful presence verification, English-language proficiency testing, ELDT oversight, and documentation requirements — are implemented uniformly at the federal level.”

Industry Perspective: “The CDL Must Be a Credential Employers Can Trust”

During the December hearing, PMTA member Jeff Mercadante, Chief Safety & Risk Management Officer for PITT OHIO, provided lawmakers with a carrier’s perspective on how weaknesses in the CDL system affect day-to-day operations.

“The trucking industry depends on state and federal agencies to uphold the highest standards of CDL testing, issuance, and oversight so that every driver who holds a CDL has met the legal and safety requirements to operate a commercial motor vehicle,” Mercadante testified.

Mercadante highlighted the growing problem of applicants arriving with valid CDLs but lacking basic real-world driving skills because of inadequate training.

“We routinely encounter applicants whose primary training experience came from simulators,” Mercadante testified. “Simulators have value, but they cannot replace the judgment, confidence, and muscle memory that only come from actual behind-the-wheel driving under supervision.”

Mercadante added that many carriers are forced to spend significant time and resources rebuilding foundational skills that should have been taught before a CDL was issued.

“The CDL must be a credential that employers can trust,” Mercadante said. “When it is not, both safety and operational reliability are compromised.”

Broader Federal Focus

The Pennsylvania legislation comes amid growing national scrutiny of CDL oversight and enforcement.

Congress continues to consider proposals such as “Delilah’s Law,” federal legislation that would require English-language CDL testing nationwide, strengthen ELP out-of-service standards, increase oversight of training providers, and impose additional verification requirements related to immigration status.

Federal regulators also have recently increased enforcement activity related to English Language Proficiency requirements and Entry-Level Driver Training compliance.

PMTA has consistently maintained that Pennsylvania should align closely with federal standards while ensuring the Commonwealth has the staffing, technology, and oversight tools necessary to maintain the integrity of the CDL system.

Additional Highway Safety Legislation

Separately, the Senate also approved Senate Bill 1286, known as the “Kyle Costrello and Glenn Compton Law,” which would increase penalties associated with causing an unintentional death on the roadway.

The legislation would establish an ungraded misdemeanor punishable by fines of up to $2,500 and a driver’s license suspension of up to two years.

Next Steps

All three bills now move to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for consideration.

PMTA has emphasized that responsible carriers support strong, consistent enforcement standards because unsafe or improperly credentialed drivers create risks not only for the motoring public, but also for the professional drivers and companies that invest heavily in training, compliance, and safety programs.