Dalilah's Law

On June 20, 2024, an illegal alien from India driving an 18-wheeler caused a multi-car pileup after driving at an unsafe speed and failing to stop for traffic in a construction zone. His reckless driving, combined with California’s irresponsible decision to issue him a commercial driver’s license (CDL), forever changed the life of 5-year-old Dalilah Coleman.

The crash cost her the ability to walk, talk, eat, and start kindergarten on time. She spent three weeks in a coma and needed six months of treatment in the hospital before her family could bring her home. By the grace of God, she’s still with us and is on the long, hard road to recovery, but her life will never be the same. 

It didn’t have to be this way. We owe it to Dalilah and so many others who have been taken from us far too soon or had their lives forever changed by these preventable accidents to do everything we can to ensure this never happens again.

This week, the Committee that I Chair, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, passed Dalilah’s Law to do just that and keep illegal and unqualified drivers off our highways.

For starters, it ensures all CDL holders understand English, road signs, and law enforcement officers and takes drivers that can’t meet these safety standards off the road. It’s just common sense. 

The bill also cracks down on the states, brokers, and CDL mills that are trying to get around the law and put dangerous, illegal drivers behind the wheel of commercial vehicles. Shockingly, some states like California have been handing these licenses out to illegal, unqualified drivers, sending them on their way to travel across the country, endangering motorists and our communities. This leaves the rest of the states to catch them and take them off the road before tragedy strikes.

Finally, it requires states to verify that they aren’t issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants. They can’t legally work here; there’s absolutely no reason they should have a CDL in the first place. 

President Trump and Transportation Secretary Duffy have already taken decisive action to begin implementing these requirements through policy and get these dangerous drivers off our roads now. That’s a great start, but now we have to answer the call and put these requirements in law so this never happens again.

We owe that to Dalilah.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves