The Alabama Legislature gave final passage to SB242 Thursday, sending a bill requiring commercial drivers to demonstrate English proficiency and carry valid entry documents to Governor Kay Ivey.
The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Lance Bell (R-Pell City) and carried in the House by State Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark), would take effect October 1, 2026 if signed.
SB242 codifies an existing federal requirement for English proficiency among commercial drivers into state law and creates new criminal penalties for violations. Under the bill, a driver who fails an English proficiency standard and receives a traffic citation faces a $1,000 fine for the operator and $2,000 for the carrier, with fines doubling on subsequent violations.
Presenting a fraudulent foreign commercial driver license or operating without required federal entry documents are both Class D felonies, with fines applicable to both drivers and carriers.
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The Alabama Senate passed the bill 34-0 earlier this session. Bell pointed to a May accident in Thomasville, where a driver on a work visa who only spoke Russian struck several cars stopped at a red light, killing two people, as evidence of the need for state-level enforcement tools.
“Our good, hard-working, everyday truck drivers are not the ones causing issues,” Bell said. “They’re schooled on what they’re doing, they’re trained on what they’re doing, and that’s what it needs to be all day, every day going up and down the roads.”
Mark Colson, President and CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association, praised the bill’s passage.
“Alabama’s law enforcement agency is a national leader in highway safety and SB 242 will give them additional tools to keep illegal operators off the road,” Colson said. “This bill will save lives and help create a fair and level playing field in Alabama.”
Colson said the measure fits into a broader national push for industry accountability.
“Most of the solutions to root out bad actors in trucking are being implemented uniformly at the federal level as outlined in a national action plan called Trucking Resurgence,” he said. “This bill is an important state component that aligns with federal law and increases penalties for law breakers.”
Thursday marked day 19 of the legislative session. There are 11 legislative days remaining.
Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
