California may lose federal funding for not enforcing trucker English rules

LOS ANGELES - California, Washington, and New Mexico could lose millions in federal funding for failing to enforce English-language requirements for truck drivers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Tuesday. 

What they're saying:

Duffy said the issue is about safety, not politics, as truckers need to understand road signs and communicate with law enforcement. 

"This is about keeping people safe on the road. Your families, your kids, your spouses, your loved ones, your friends. We all use the roadway, and we need to make sure that those who are driving big rigs — semis — can understand the road signs, that they’ve been well trained," Duffy said.

Diamond R. Litty, the public defender for Harjinder Singh, the driver involved in the Florida crash, said, "Unfortunately, Mr. Singh has been caught in the crosshairs of politics."

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Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, praised Duffy’s announcement. 

"Basic English skills are critical for safely operating a commercial motor vehicle — reading road signs, following emergency instructions, and communicating with law enforcement are not optional. The fatal crash in Florida this month tragically illustrates what’s at stake," Spencer said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the crash was an "avoidable tragedy." 

"You’re not allowed to issue a CDL to somebody who is not in this country legally. You’re not allowed to issue a CDL to somebody who is not capable of understanding traffic signs," DeSantis said.

By the numbers:

According to the Department of Transportation, California has conducted roughly 34,000 inspections since the new language standards took effect. 

However, only one inspection resulted in a driver being taken out of service for an English language violation. 

Twenty-three drivers with violations in other states were allowed to continue driving after inspections in California.

In Washington, more than 6,000 safety rule violations were found during inspections, but only four drivers were pulled out of service for English language violations. New Mexico has not placed any drivers out of service for these violations.

The states have 30 days to comply or lose funding from the motor carrier safety assistance program. 

California could lose $33 million, Washington could lose $10.5 million, and New Mexico could lose $7 million.

The backstory:

The sanctions were proposed after an investigation following a deadly Florida crash on August 12. 

Harjinder Singh, a truck driver, made an illegal U-turn on a highway, killing three people when a minivan collided with his trailer. 

He is being held without bond on charges of three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations. 

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that Singh, a native of India, was in the country illegally.

Duffy said Singh should never have been granted commercial driver’s licenses by Washington and California. He also said New Mexico should have pulled Singh off the road after a July traffic stop, as Singh later failed a language test given by DOT investigators after the Florida crash. California is one of 19 states that issue licenses regardless of immigration status.

California Governor Gavin Newsom's office posted on the platform X that Singh obtained a work permit during President Donald Trump’s first term, which was disputed by homeland security officials. 

Federal officials have not addressed Newsom’s claim that the permit was renewed in April.