Sponsors (5)
The bill centralizes and standardizes E‑Verify checks for CDL issuance to improve consistency and public safety, but it does so by adding criminal penalties, heavy civil fines, increased privacy and administrative burdens, and significant risks to immigrants' rights and State operations.
All CDL applicants will be subject to consistent identity and work‑authorization checks (E‑Verify) before licenses are issued, reducing issuance of invalid credentials and lowering the risk of unqualified drivers in interstate commerce.
States receive a uniform verification standard and federal backstop for compliance, which reduces variation in licensing practices across States and can make CDL issuance more consistent.
Employers and the public may gain greater confidence that CDL holders meet federal employment‑eligibility requirements, which could improve road‑safety oversight and reduce safety risks from ineligible drivers.
Noncitizens who meet the listed INA criteria face new felony offenses, severe mandatory sentences for certain offenses (including extreme penalties for fatal accidents), and new aggravated‑felony/inadmissibility consequences that accelerate deportation and bar relief or admission.
State and local employees (e.g., DMV staff) can face criminal liability and up to a year in prison for issuing CDLs without required E‑Verify checks, which could deter staff, slow licensing, and complicate State licensing operations.
Businesses, individuals, and others who assist or facilitate applicants risk large civil penalties (e.g., $50,000 each) plus treble damages, substantially increasing litigation exposure and compliance costs for employers and service providers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Criminalizes certain noncitizens’ use/presentation of CDLs, adds mandatory penalties and civil treble damages, and requires E-Verify or state verification for CDL issuance.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by John Cornyn · Last progress March 26, 2026
Makes it a federal crime for certain noncitizens who are inadmissible, deportable, or paroled under specified immigration laws to present or use a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in interstate or foreign commerce, and creates new criminal penalties, mandatory minimum sentences for accidents, civil liability, and administrative reporting requirements. Requires CDL applicants to present written proof of work-authorized status through E-Verify or a comparable state program, obliges states to share that proof with the federal government on request, and creates federal and state civil enforcement paths for noncompliance.