Pennsylvania Republicans are escalating pressure on Democrats in Harrisburg over what they describe as a growing public safety problem involving illegal immigrants obtaining commercial driver’s licenses and operating heavy trucks across the country.
The fight has intensified after several foreign nationals involved in serious incidents in other states were discovered to be carrying Pennsylvania-issued CDLs, triggering renewed scrutiny of PennDOT’s licensing process and its reliance on federal immigration verification systems.
Now Republicans are moving legislation they say is aimed directly at closing the loopholes.
The package of bills advancing through the GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate targets so-called “CDL mills,” requires English proficiency for commercial truck drivers, and increases penalties for unsafe operators. Republicans argue the reforms are overdue after multiple cases involving foreign nationals with Pennsylvania commercial licenses surfaced nationwide.
One of the most alarming incidents involved Uzbek national Ahkror Bozorov, who was stopped in Kansas earlier this year while carrying a Pennsylvania CDL. According to DHS, Bozorov was also wanted in Uzbekistan over suspected ties to terrorist organizations.
Another case involved a Kyrgyz national with a PennDOT-issued CDL who was involved in a fatal crash in Indiana.
Those incidents intensified criticism from Republicans who argue Pennsylvania appears uniquely vulnerable compared to other states.
Democrats, however, have largely pointed toward failures at the federal level. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has repeatedly argued PennDOT relies on the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database to verify lawful presence and that problems with the federal system contribute to the issue.
“The fact remains that every person who applies for a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license issued by PennDOT must provide proof of identity and proof of their lawful presence in the United States,” Shapiro spokeswoman Rosie Lapowsky said.
Still, Republicans say the explanation is no longer sufficient given the repeated cases now linked back to Pennsylvania licenses.
Sen. Jarrett Coleman called the proposed reforms “commonsense” measures designed to improve highway safety.
“Cracking down on CDL mills and requiring English language proficiency for truck drivers are easy ways for Pennsylvania to make the roads a little safer,” Coleman said.
The legislation itself reflects growing concern about how loosely regulated parts of the commercial driver training industry may have become.
One bill would establish a formal CDL school licensing board and impose penalties up to $25,000 for uncertified entry-level driver training operations. Another would require English to be the primary language understood during testing and operation of large commercial vehicles. A third measure would strengthen penalties for out-of-service violations involving unsafe drivers, including those unable to demonstrate English comprehension.
The issue gained additional traction after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently blasted Biden-era trucking school policies that allowed self-certification practices. Duffy compared the setup to major fraud scandals involving government oversight failures, arguing it created an environment ripe for abuse.
Testimony from Pennsylvania officials during recent Senate hearings appeared to reinforce at least some Republican concerns.
Deputy Secretary of Education Lynnette Kuhn testified that while the federal government lists more than 1,200 Pennsylvania-based CDL training providers, only 40 are actually registered with the state. She also explained that federal registration standards require very little identifying information, making enforcement difficult.
“Registration is a self-certifying process,” Kuhn said, noting that providers can appear legitimate despite lacking proper state oversight.
That revelation fueled Republican arguments that weak oversight has allowed questionable training operations to flourish.
The politics surrounding the issue are becoming increasingly complicated for Democrats. Shapiro’s administration has not outright opposed the bills, signaling it is at least open to reviewing the proposals as they move through the legislature. But top Democratic leaders in the state House have remained largely silent.
That silence may become harder to maintain as the legislation advances through the Senate and public attention grows around the issue. With Pennsylvania’s House narrowly controlled by Democrats, even a small number of defections could ultimately determine whether the reforms reach the governor’s desk.
