The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Wednesday it is withholding more than $40 million in federal highway safety funding from California, over the state failing to comply with English language proficiency guidelines for commercial drivers.
“I put states on notice this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirements or the checks stop coming,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a DOT release. “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.”
“This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s roads.”
Duffy added that California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) “insistence on obstructing federal law has tied my hands.”
When reached for comment, Newsom spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo said the Transportation secretary “needs a lesson on his own road rules.” Crofts-Pelayo added that statistics show California commercial truck drivers have a lower crash rate than the national average.
A spokesperson for the California State Transportation Agency also told The Hill Friday that the state “remains committed to the safety of the traveling public and will continue to comply with applicable federal laws and regulations.” The spokesperson added that the agency is reviewing the DOT’s notice regarding the alleged violations.
In April, President Trump signed an executive order requiring commercial truck drivers to be proficient in English, nearly two months after he signed an order designating English as the national language.
Duffy signed an order in May that aligned Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) policy with the president’s order.
The funding, totaling nearly $40.7 million, is from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). The program provides funding for states to conduct roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, safety audits of trucking companies and public education campaigns, according to the DOT.
According to the FMSA, which oversees MCSAP grants, the program provided $480 million in funding in fiscal 2024.
In August, Duffy threatened to withhold funding from California, Washington state and New Mexico if they did not come up with “corrective plans” that complied with federal law within 30 days.
“This is not just us saying we have some obscure rule, this is about keeping people safe on the road — your families, your loved ones, your kids,” Duffy told reporters at the time.
On Sept. 25, at the end of that grace period, the California State Transportation Agency’s general counsel, Alicia Fowler, wrote a letter to Jesse Ellison, DOT’s chief counsel, outlining the state’s compliance efforts.
The letter, obtained by The Hill, states that a commercial truck driver, in accordance with California law, must pass a test assessing their “ability to read and understand simple English used in highway traffic and directional signs.” It also notes that the California Commercial Driver Handbook requires all skills tests to be conducted in the English language.
“Thus, in California, the licensing process that confirms English language proficiency before a license is issued fully complies with federal requirements,” the letter adds.
The DOT, when reached for comment, provided The Hill with a letter it sent to Newsom and Fowler on Wednesday. The letter states that California’s arguments are “misplaced,” and says that the state claiming its skills test policy satisfies federal standards “overlooks the obligation to ensure that all interstate drivers operating within California, regardless of where they are licensed, meet the” English language proficiency requirement.
The letter noted that DOT and FMCSA will restore the funding “as soon as California begins full enforcement and compliance” with the standards.
Updated on Oct. 18 at 6:17 p.m. EDT