Department of Transport (DOT) announced on wednesday It is withholding more than $40 million in federal highway safety funds from California due to the state failing to follow English language proficiency guidelines for commercial drivers.
“I put states on notice this summer: Enforce the Trump administration’s English language requirements or the checks will stop coming,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a DOT release. “California is the only state in the country that refuses to ensure that big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement.”
“This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s roads.”
Duffy said California Governor Gavin Newsom (D)’s “insistence to obstruct federal law has tied my hands.”
When contacted for comment, Newsom spokeswoman Diana Crofts-Pelayo said the transportation secretary “needs a lesson on his own rules of the road.” Crofts-Pelayo said statistics show that the accident rate among California commercial truck drivers is lower than the national average.
The Hill has also contacted the California Department of Motor Vehicles for comment.
In April, President Trump signed an executive order Commercial Truck Drivers Required be proficient in englishAbout after two months he signed a order specifying english As national language.
duffy signed an order The Federal Motor Safety Administration (FMSA) policy was combined with a presidential order in May.
The total funding, approximately $40.7 million, is from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). According to the DOT, the program provides funds to states to conduct roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, safety audits of trucking companies, and public education campaigns.
According to FMSA, which oversees MCSAP grants, the program provides $480 million in funding in fiscal year 2024.
In August, Duffy threatened to stop Funding from California, Washington State and New Mexico if they do not come up with “remedial plans” that comply with federal law within 30 days.
“It’s not just us saying we have some vague rules, it’s about keeping people safe on the road – your family, your loved ones, your kids,” Duffy. told reporters In those days.
On September 25, at the end of that grace period, Alicia Fowler, general counsel for the California State Transportation Agency, wrote a letter to DOT chief counsel Jesse Ellison, outlining the state’s compliance efforts.
A commercial truck driver, according to the letter obtained by The Hill California lawThey must pass a test assessing “the ability to read and understand simple English used in highway traffic and directional signs.” It also notes that California Commercial Driver Handbook All skill tests need to be conducted in English language.
“Thus, in California, the licensing process that confirms English language proficiency prior to issuance of a license fully complies with federal requirements,” the letter states.
Hill has contacted DOT for comment on the letter.
