Senate committee backs state law to let local officers enforce federal English‑proficiency rules for CDL drivers
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Summary
House Bill 32 would authorize state enforcement of federal English‑proficiency standards for commercial drivers, allowing local police and sheriffs to remove unsafe drivers from Wyoming roads; senators debated standards, interstate notice and reliance on federal rulemaking.
The Senate Committee of the Whole recommended passage of House Bill 32 on Thursday, a bill that would create a state statute allowing enforcement of English‑proficiency rules for commercial drivers consistent with federal standards (49 CFR 391.11).
Sponsor Senator Kolb and co‑sponsor Senator Pappas said the bill is intended to ‘‘force multiply’’ enforcement by allowing local law enforcement to remove commercial drivers who cannot demonstrate reading and basic English comprehension from operation. Kolb described the measure as mirroring federal guidance so local officers are not limited to troopers who hold federal certification.
Proponents cited enforcement data. Senator Cole and others said Wyoming Highway Patrol issued 775 out‑of‑service orders and 337 citations under the proficiency standards, with 19 repeat violations; those figures were presented as evidence that safety problems persist despite federal action.
Opponents and questioners raised regulatory and fairness concerns. Senator Rafas and others noted that the federal requirement has been implemented through rulemaking rather than a statute and asked whether imposing state enforcement on nonresident drivers could create notice or interstate‑commerce issues. Senator Rothfuss, Senator Hyde and others asked how a standard for ‘‘proficiency’’ would be measured in the field and whether reading ability (not fluency) should be the primary threshold.
Senator Kolb and supporters said the bill uses the federal questionnaire and standardized approach and that enforcement would be consistent with federal criteria. ‘‘Typically, the vehicle is parked and they have to get another driver to come to take the vehicle on,’’ Kolb said, describing enforcement practice for out‑of‑service drivers.
The Committee voted to report the bill do pass. The sponsors and several senators indicated follow‑up questions remain about notice to interstate drivers and the field evaluation standards that will be applied.