Trump administration withholds $40.6 million from California over truck driver English rules

The Trump administration said on Wednesday it was withholding $40.6 million from California in federal transportation funding for failing to comply with truck driver English proficiency rules.

The U.S. Transportation Department had warned California, Washington state and New Mexico in August that they could lose funding unless they adopt English proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers.

"California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom said in the state's response to the Transportation Department, it said its laws, regulations, standards, and orders were either identical to or had the same effect as federal safety requirements, including English language proficiency.

"California properly enforces this requirement through its commercial driver’s licensure procedures," the spokesperson said, adding those state license holders had a fatal crash rate nearly 40% lower than the national average.

The withheld funding was for roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, safety audits of trucking companies, and public education campaigns.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has taken a series of steps to address concerns about foreign truck drivers who do not speak English, and in August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was immediately pausing the issuance of all worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

Last month, the Transportation Department issued emergency rules to drastically restrict commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens after a fatal crash in Florida and a government audit.

In April, Trump signed an executive order directing enforcement of a rule requiring commercial drivers in the U.S. to meet English proficiency standards.

While the English-proficiency standard for truckers was already longstanding U.S. law, the order reversed 2016 guidance that inspectors should not place commercial drivers out of service if their only violation was lack of English.

FMCSA said in 2023 that about 16% of U.S. truck drivers were born outside the United States.

Duffy said last month he was launching a separate enforcement action against California, requiring it to pause issuing some commercial driver licenses to non-U.S. citizens.

California has 30 days to comply or the Trump administration will withhold federal highway funds, starting with nearly $160 million in the first year and then doubling.