This week, an Arkansas lawmaker withdrew high-profile legislation increasing restrictions and penalties for non-citizen commercial vehicle drivers, but a new bill with a specific focus on English language has taken its place.

In late February 2025, the Secure Roads And Safe Trucking Act Of 2025 (HB1569) was introduced in the Arkansas state legislature by Rep. Wayne Long, Sen. John Payton, and Rep. Jon Eubanks.

The bill featured a number of provisions aimed at cracking down on non-citizen truck drivers, including requiring a domestically-issued Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in order to operate a commercial vehicle in Arkansas, increased penalties for causing a crash without a domestically.-issued CDL, and an English language proficiency requirement.

The bill made headlines for several weeks but it was ultimately withdrawn the author on April 7.

On March 31, Rep. Long introduced a new bill (HB1914) that focuses solely on English language proficiency for commercial vehicle operators.

HB1914 would amend the Arkansas Motor Carrier Act of 1955 to establish it as an offense if a person operates a commercial motor vehicle and is unable to read or speak English well enough to engage with the public, understand traffic signs, respond to official inquiries, and complete necessary reports and records.

The bill also establishes fines for violations of the English language proficiency requirement.

On April 3, HB1914 was advanced by the House Public Transportation Committee to the full House for consideration.

While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) does require commercial vehicle drivers to possess English proficiency so that they can read signs and communicate with the public and law enforcement, a 2016 FMCSA-issued memorandum removed the requirement to place drivers out of service for English Language Proficiency (ELP) violations and changed the standards for determining non-compliance with ELP rules.