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CAPITOL LETTERS -- One of the major issues in the transportation arena over the past year has been the proliferation of deadly accidents across the country involving people who somehow have gotten Commercial Driver’s Licenses in spite of not being English proficient. The House Transportation Committee is working with Iowa’s trucking community to take hard steps to prevent that from happening here.
The committee last week passed a bill brought forward by the Iowa Motor Truck Association that would require those applying for a CDL to demonstrate English proficiency that meets the federal government’s standards before they are given a license. And for those seeking to renew their CDL, they too would have to demonstrate English proficiency to have it renewed.
House File 2700 also addresses situations on the road when law enforcement has pulled over a commercial vehicle, and officers cannot communicate with the driver. The bill would impose a $1,000 fine and a criminal penalty of up to one year in jail for those drivers who are not English proficient.
The bill also holds commercial carriers responsible in these situations. House File 2700 would impose a fine for hiring a commercial driver not proficient in English to haul a load in Iowa. The fines would begin at $3,000 for the first incident and rise up to $10,000 per incident. If law enforcement stopped a commercial vehicle and found the driver to not be English proficient, that vehicle would be held until the carrier sent a driver to take over. That driver must be English proficient. And before they could take off, the carrier would have to have paid any fines that resulted from that stop.
Along similar lines, the Iowa DOT has been prohibited from issuing non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses and commercial learners permits after the federal government put a pause on our ability to issue. I received an update kast week from the Iowa DOT:
On behalf of the Iowa DOT, I want to provide a brief update regarding non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and commercial learner’s permits (CLPs).
To comply with a directive from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) the Iowa DOT paused issuance of these licenses last December. This week, FMCSA approved Iowa to resume issuing non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs and we are eager to finally continue offering this critical service.
Beginning Friday, Feb. 27, non-domicile CDLs/CLPs will be available at four DOT locations: Ankeny, Waukee, Cedar Rapids and Sioux City. On Monday, March 2, non-domicile CDLs/CLPs will be available at all 18 DOT service centers (DOT locations only, not county treasurer offices). Walk-in customers seeking a CDL or CLP are accepted and will be prioritized.
Additionally, beginning March 16, the Iowa DOT will adopt the revised FMCSA regulations that change the current requirements for eligibility and validity of non-domicile CDLs/CLPs.
We appreciate your partnership and your patience during this process. Please feel free to share this information with your members and have them contact the DOT’s CDL coordinator, Ronee Slagle (ronee.slagle@iowadot.us) with any questions. For specific questions regarding the new federal rules, please refer to FMCSA’s website.
I hear a lot from our trucking community and I am grateful for every trucker who safely gets behind the wheel. I appreciate the trucking community for advocating for positive change and for their patience as we navigate changes on the federal level.
The next Storm Lake Legislative forum will be held Saturday, March 28, at 12:30 p.m. at King’s Pointe Resort. Contact Megan Jones by email: megan.jones@legis.iowa.gov
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