New legislation introduced in Congress seeks to reinforce recent action by the Trump Administration to ensure that commercial vehicle drivers can read and speak English.

On May 29, lawmakers announced the introduction of Connor’s Law, a bill authored by Rep. Dave Taylor that would “codify President Trump’s Executive Order requiring CDL drivers to maintain a basic proficiency in English in order to be licensed to drive on American roads.”

Specifically, Connor’s Law would:

  • Codify English Language Proficiency (ELP) into law as a requirement for individuals issued a commercial driver’s license
  • Put CDL drivers violating the ELP requirement out-of-service

The bill was named for Connor Dzion, an 18 year old killed in a crash in Florida in 2017. Officials say that the crash involved a “distracted truck driver who was found unable to speak English or read signs warning of upcoming traffic.”

“It’s Ohio common sense that if you want to drive trucks on our Nation’s roads, you should be able to read the road signs,” said Taylor. “Tragic deaths like Connor’s are absolutely preventable, and it starts with ensuring drivers operating large and heavy commercial vehicles are capable of being alerted to hazards and updates on the road. President Trump demonstrated leadership through his executive order requiring CDL drivers to speak English, which paved the way for driver safety, and I’m proud to introduce this bill to codify it and do the same.” 

“Although English standards were initially included in the qualification process for commercial drivers, previous Democratic administrations removed violations of English Language Proficiency (ELP) from the out-of-service criteria. This action made CDL requirements more lax and increased the risk of accidents on the road, like the one that resulted in Connor’s death. Due to this, Congressional action is needed to restore proper CDL requirements and ensure safety on American roads,” said Rep. Harriet Hageman, who co-sponsored the bill.

The bill has the endorsement of trucking groups including the American Trucking Associations (ATA), Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC), and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).

“OOIDA and the 150,000 truckers we proudly represent strongly support the enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers because it saves lives,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “Basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement. Road signs are effective—but only when they’re understood. We thank Representative Taylor for his leadership on this issue because English proficiency is not optional—it’s crucial for keeping America’s roads safe for the entire traveling public.”

The bill builds on several recent actions taken by the White House and federal agencies to ensure that truckers are proficient in the English language.

In late April, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) requiring the enforcement of existing English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for truck drivers. The EO sought to reverse a 2016 policy that stated that commercial vehicle drivers should not be placed out-of-service for ELP violations. Since the EO was signed, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance updated the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria to make an ELP violation an out-of-service offense once again, effective June 25, 2025.

On May 20, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released an internal memo that provides guidance for law enforcement personnel on how to evaluate whether drivers meet ELP requirements while conducting inspections, establishing a two-step language assessment process.

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