The SAFE Drivers Act requires all applicants for commercial driver's licenses to pass a standardized English language proficiency test before receiving or renewing their license. The test, to be developed and approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, would assess an applicant's ability to read, write, and understand English in practical commercial driving contexts, including reading road signs, understanding emergency communications, and completing required documentation. The law applies to all new and renewed commercial driver's licenses issued beginning 12 months after the bill becomes law, and places responsibility on individual states to administer the test through their motor vehicle departments while the federal government monitors compliance. States that fail to substantially comply with the requirement could lose federal transportation funding. The Secretary of Transportation must submit annual reports to Congress on state compliance rates and pass rates for the English proficiency test.
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