(INDIANA) — The Indiana Senate advanced House Bill 1200 on Monday after adding amendments that require commercial truck drivers to prove English language proficiency and mandate license revocations for certain drivers whom federal agencies indicate lack legal authorization.
Lawmakers cast the proposal as a public-safety and compliance measure that could reshape how commercial motor vehicle operators and trucking employers do business in Indiana, including non-domiciled CDL holders who work in the state.
Senate Republicans tied the bill’s changes to roadway safety concerns and what they described as a need for clearer, enforceable standards for who can operate commercial vehicles on Indiana roads.
House Bill 1200 now includes an English language proficiency requirement that applies to commercial motor vehicle operators seeking to operate in Indiana. It also includes an immigration status enforcement mechanism that directs the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to revoke certain commercial driver’s licenses based on information from federal agencies.
Under the English-language provision, all commercial motor vehicle operators must take and pass a skills exam in English to operate in Indiana.
Supporters argued in debate that the requirement matches the language environment drivers face on the road and during safety communications, pointing to the predominance of English on traffic signage.
Sen. Greg Goode, a Republican from Terre Haute, linked the measure to what he described as repeated observations of dangerous driving and communication risks. “I have witnessed too many times where individuals who are driving semi trucks, who are not paying attention, and I fear may not understand the English language plowing in and killing individuals who come at a standstill in traffic on I-70,” Goode said.
Democratic opposition in the Senate focused on concerns that the English language proficiency requirement could conflict with federal law and uniform CDL standards.
Sen. Greg Taylor, a Democrat from Indianapolis, raised that concern during debate, and he was described as the only significant Democratic opposition to the bill as it advanced.
Alongside the English testing requirement, the bill builds in immigration status enforcement tied to certain CDL holders through the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
The measure requires the Indiana BMV to revoke non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses if officials receive credible information from federal agencies that the driver lacks legal authorization or required immigration documents.
That approach makes revocation mandatory in the bill’s framework once the specified trigger is met, shifting the issue from discretionary review to a required administrative step tied to federal-agency information.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita framed that revocation mechanism in categorical terms, describing it as mandatory for drivers with illegal work status.
For drivers and carriers, the structure points toward more compliance touchpoints around paperwork and status-related documentation, because the bill’s trigger hinges on credible information from federal agencies and a required response from the state motor vehicle agency.
Trucking companies operating in Indiana could feel the effects through hiring and dispatch decisions if drivers face revocation of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses and become unable to operate under the bill’s conditions.
The enforcement design also places weight on the practical relationship between federal determinations and state licensing actions, with the Indiana BMV positioned as the agency that must carry out revocations when the bill’s criteria are satisfied.
Penalties in House Bill 1200 extend beyond licensing consequences and reach both drivers and trucking company owners.
Drivers found in violation face a level six felony and a $5,000 fine.
Trucking company owners who employ drivers with improper licenses face $50,000 fines.
Those penalties create different tiers of exposure for individuals behind the wheel and for owners responsible for staffing decisions, and they also put an explicit dollar amount on the risk for employers who keep drivers on the road without proper licensing status.
For owner-operators and fleet owners alike, the bill’s structure signals that enforcement could touch routine business practices, including how companies verify licensing and how they keep records connected to drivers they employ.
The measure’s supporters and opponents argued over the balance between state action and federal standards, with the English language proficiency requirement drawing scrutiny over whether Indiana can impose the rule as written while maintaining alignment with broader CDL norms.
Backers emphasized the state’s safety rationale and the need for enforcement mechanisms that do not depend on voluntary compliance alone, particularly where licensing and driver eligibility intersect.
Gov. Mike Braun backed the approach as a public-safety measure and described it in terms that combine the CDL changes and the immigration status enforcement provisions.
“In addition to strengthening our CDL licensing process, Indiana will revoke the CDLs of drivers who are illegal immigrants and penalize companies who employ them,” Braun said.
Supporters also tied the bill to recent fatal crashes involving semi-truck drivers, using that context to argue for tighter guardrails around who may operate commercial vehicles and what standards apply to licensing and on-road eligibility.
The debate referenced a February 18 crash in Hendricks County that killed Terry Schultz of Carmel.
In that incident, the driver, Sukhdeep Singh, was detained by Indiana State Police for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a detail that supporters used to argue for sharper immigration status enforcement linked to commercial driving privileges.
The legislative clock now drives the bill’s next steps, with deadlines compressing the time for amendments, debate, and final votes.
The Senate must give the measure a final vote before a legislative deadline on Tuesday (February 25).
If the Senate passes the measure, the bill returns to the House for final consideration by Friday.
The legislative session is expected to end by February 27, setting a narrow window for both chambers to complete action.
Taken together, the timeline means the bill’s backers must secure a final Senate vote and then move quickly through House consideration if they want the amended House Bill 1200 to reach the finish line this session.
The proposal’s combination of English language proficiency requirements and immigration status enforcement has placed commercial trucking at the center of a broader policy debate that blends roadway safety arguments, workforce compliance concerns, and legal questions about how state standards interact with federal frameworks.
With the bill’s penalties set at a level six felony and fines of $5,000 for drivers and $50,000 for trucking company owners, lawmakers have attached steep consequences to the compliance regime they are advancing as the session nears its expected end on February 27.
House Bill 1200 Adds English Proficiency and Immigration Checks
Indiana’s House Bill 1200 aims to enhance roadway safety by requiring commercial drivers to pass English proficiency tests and enforcing immigration status checks. The legislation mandates license revocations for unauthorized workers and imposes high fines on both drivers and employers. Supported by Governor Mike Braun, the bill faces a tight legislative deadline as lawmakers balance state safety concerns with federal regulatory alignment.
