{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://kelly.house.gov/media/press-releases/kelly-renews-push-dalilahs-law-strengthen-highway-safety-close-loopholes", "Kelly renews push for 'Dalilah's Law' to strengthen highway safety, close loopholes", "2026-08-13", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Mike Kelly", "K000376", "kelly.house.gov", "kelly", "https://kelly.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) renewed his support for Dalilah\u2019s Law, legislation that would strengthen Commercial Driver\u2019s License (CDL) requirements and help prevent unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles on American roadways.\n\nThe renewed push comes ahead of the first anniversary of an August 18, 2025, crash on the Florida Turnpike that killed three people. The driver, an illegal immigrant who had received a CDL in California, made an unlawful U-turn despite clearly marked signs prohibiting the maneuver.\n\nIn February, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) finalized a rule to stop unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining licenses to drive commercial trucks and buses citing public safety threats. Previously, a nationwide audit by the U.S. DOT exposed Pennsylvania as one of six states with systemic non-compliance in issuing non-domiciled CDLs.\n\n\u201cFrom top to bottom, this is commonsense legislation that will secure our roads, protect American citizens, and enforce our immigration laws,\u201d said Rep. Kelly. \u201cIf you\u2019re in this country illegally, you shouldn\u2019t be given the keys to the largest, most powerful vehicles on the road. Plain and simple.\u201d\n\nDalilah\u2019s Law is named in honor of Dalilah Coleman, who was five years old when she was struck by an 18-wheel tractor-trailer driven by an illegal immigrant. The crash left Dalilah with a traumatic brain injury, skull fractures, a broken femur, and other serious injuries.\n\nIn his State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump announced his support for Dalilah's Law.\n\nThe legislation would strengthen CDL standards by:\n\nRequire that states limit commercial driver\u2019s licenses to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain temporary work visa holders as a condition of receiving Department of Transportation funding.\n\nMandate English-only CDL testing to ensure that all commercial drivers possess the language skills necessary for safe operation on U.S. roads.\n\nRequire states to revoke CDLs issued to undocumented immigrants or individuals without qualifying legal status, even if they previously had work authorization.\n\nStrengthen verification processes and recertification requirements to ensure ongoing compliance with eligibility and safety standards.\n\nThe House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved Dalilah\u2019s Law in March. The legislation now awaits consideration by the full U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nBACKGROUND", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://kelly.house.gov/media/press-releases/kelly-renews-push-dalilahs-law-strengthen-highway-safety-close-loopholes"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8649381343275309, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}