BREAKING: Sean Duffy Announces New CDL Rules 'Effective Immediately,' Action Against CA

Non-Domicile CDLs Compromise Road Safety [00:10]

• The government system designed for road safety has been compromised by non-domicile commercial driver's licenses.
• These licenses are being issued to foreign drivers who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, allowing them to operate 80,000lb trucks.
• The process for issuing these licenses is described as "broken" and a threat to public safety, constituting a national emergency.
• This issue is framed as serious business affecting American families and their lives, not fear-mongering.

The process for issuing these licenses is absolutely 100% broken. It has become a threat to public safety and it is a national emergency that requires action right now.

Fatal Crashes Linked to Non-Domicile CDL Drivers [01:06]

• A series of horrific fatal crashes this year have been caused by dangerous non-domicile CDL drivers.
• One incident in Texas on March 14th involved a 17-vehicle pileup, killing five people (including two children) and hospitalizing 11, caused by a driver who failed to brake. Post-crash investigations revealed a history of unsafe driving and rule violations.
• On May 6th in Alabama, a driver with less than six weeks of experience crashed into four vehicles at a red light, killing two people and injuring four. This driver had previously failed his skills test for speeding and the crash occurred on his third day of employment.
• A fatal crash in Florida on August 12th, reported by the media, was caused by a driver attempting an unauthorized U-turn, resulting in a minivan crashing into his trailer and killing three people. This driver had a prior speeding ticket, was non-proficient in English, and had been improperly issued a CDL by the state of Washington.

So again, in each of these tragedies, the drivers were non-domiciled.

Nationwide Audit and Findings on CDL Issuance [03:08]

• A nationwide audit of non-domicile CDLs has been launched to address the crisis.
• Reports from truckers, safety advocates, and news outlets alleging exploitation of the trucking licensing system due to open border policies are confirmed to be true after the audit.
• The audit revealed a systemic breakdown among states in following the law for issuing licenses properly, including basic procedures.
• Widespread procedural errors, computer programming flaws, and a gross lack of oversight were uncovered in states issuing CDLs.
• Thousands of licenses that should not have been issued were, and states are issuing licenses that extend months or years beyond a driver's lawful presence in the U.S., incentivizing illegal overstaying.
• In some cases, lawful presence was not validated before issuing a commercial license.

What our audit has already discovered should anger every single American.

Flawed Federal Regulations and Eligibility Requirements [04:46]

• Current federal regulations allow dangerous, unqualified drivers onto American roadways, even when rules are followed.
• Eligibility requirements are described as deeply flawed, too broad, and not strong enough to prevent horrific crashes.
• The system is deemed to have failed and is considered a national emergency.
• The combination of states failing to follow the law and a broken system creates an imminent hazard to American travelers.

The eligibility requirements are deeply flawed and they're way too broad. They are simply not strong enough to prevent more of these horrific crashes from occurring in America.

Immediate Actions: Emergency Rule and State Compliance Mandate [05:33]

• Two immediate major actions are being taken: an emergency rule and an enforcement action.
• An emergency rule is being issued to fundamentally overhaul who is eligible for a non-domicile CDL, implementing tighter federal standards for safety. This is a final rule, effective immediately.
• Non-citizens will not be eligible for a CDL unless they meet a much stricter set of rules.
• All states must immediately pause the issuance of non-domicile CDLs until they can comply with the new rules.
• States are warned to get into compliance or face funding withdrawal and forced compliance.

Non-citizens will not be eligible for a CDL unless they meet a much stricter set of rules.

Enforcement Action Against California's CDL Issuance [06:44]

• An additional enforcement action is being taken against California for its egregious licensing situation.
• FMCSA investigators found that more than one in four non-domiciled CDLs issued in California were in direct violation of federal safety standards; over 25% were issued illegally.
• Examples of violations include issuing a CDL with endorsements for passenger and school buses to a driver months after his legal presence expired, and issuing licenses to ineligible Mexican citizens that expire years after their work authorization ends.
• In one case, a driver from Honduras was issued a commercial license with Tanker and Double Triples endorsements without validation of his lawful presence, even though his work document had expired four years prior.
• This is described as a shocking and unacceptable failure, showing a reckless disregard for safety in California.

So let's just put that another way. Over 25% of these licenses, they were issued illegally.

Consequences for Non-Compliance and Future Enforcement [10:23]

• California has 30 days to fix its licensing issues. If it does not comply, federal highway funds will be withheld, starting at $160 million in the first year and doubling in the second year.
• Non-domicile CDLs were also found to be improperly issued in Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington, and enforcement actions against these states are forthcoming.
• The list of states facing enforcement is expected to grow as the nationwide audit continues.
• Other states are put on notice to fix their systems, rules, and comply with the law.
• Governors are urged to immediately begin a top-to-bottom audit of every non-domiciled issued CDL in their state and revoke any improperly issued license to ensure street safety and avoid responsibility for traffic deaths.

If California doesn't comply, we're going to withhold federal highway funds.