Arkansas Lawmakers Quickly Pass English-Proficiency Bill for Truck Drivers
Little Rock, AR – Arkansas lawmakers swiftly advanced an English-proficiency bill, sending it to the governor’s desk in under a month. On April 9, the Arkansas House passed HB1745 with an impressive 82-0 vote, following a unanimous approval from the Senate the previous week.
The bill includes a provision requiring English proficiency for holders of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and establishes that providing false or improper documentation will be classified as a felony for foreign-domiciled truck drivers.
Once enacted, the law will mandate that anyone operating a commercial vehicle must demonstrate adequate English skills. This includes the ability to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and complete entries on reports and records.
If a driver is found operating a truck without sufficient English proficiency, they will face fines of $500 for the first offense, with subsequent violations incurring fines of $1,000.
