Sponsors (4)
Bars federal agencies from contracting with TNCs/shared‑use mobility companies unless all drivers meet age, English proficiency, licensing, road‑test, and safety training requirements.
The bill raises minimum driver and certification standards to improve safety and contractual accountability for government-contracted rides, but narrows who can provide those services—reducing opportunities for young, non-English-speaking, or mobile drivers and risking fewer vendors and higher costs for agencies.
Federal employees and passengers: drivers for government-contracted rides must be at least 21 and pass a verified road test, which should reduce crash risk and improve passenger safety.
Taxpayers and contracting agencies: companies must certify driver qualifications and face enforcement penalties, increasing accountability for firms that transport government passengers.
Qualified deaf or hard-of-hearing drivers who use ASL: exempting them from the English requirement preserves access to federal driving jobs for some people with disabilities.
Transportation workers under 21 (including many gig-economy drivers): barred from government contracts, cutting job opportunities and income for younger drivers.
Small mobility providers and taxpayers: a five-year debarment for noncompliance is severe and could push firms out of the federal market, reducing competition and potentially raising costs for agencies.
Non-English-speaking immigrant drivers who are otherwise qualified: an English-proficiency requirement may exclude them, shrinking the available driver pool and reducing workforce diversity.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To require English proficiency as a prerequisite for eligibility for ride share contracts, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 21, 2026 by Josh Brecheen · Last progress January 21, 2026
Prohibits executive agencies from awarding federal contracts or agreements for transportation services in the U.S., Alaska, or Hawaii to transportation network companies (TNCs) or shared‑use mobility companies unless every driver assigned to the contract meets minimum qualifications: at least 21 years old, English reading/speaking ability sufficient for public interactions and law enforcement (with an exception for ASL users who are deaf or hard-of-hearing), safe driving experience/training, a currently valid driver’s license from a single State/jurisdiction, and completion of a road test. Companies must certify compliance; false certification can lead to a five‑year debarment from federal contracts.