OOIDA urges House to vote on Dalilah’s Law after deadly Pennsylvania crash

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring Dalilah’s Law to the House floor, stating Congress should permanently codify recent federal reforms restricting non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses. In a letter sent to Johnson on Wednesday, OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer said H. R.

5688 would permanently close what the association describes as dangerous loopholes in the commercial driver’s license system that have allowed unqualified or insufficiently vetted drivers to obtain CDLs. The organization said the legislation is particularly important following the July 1 death of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira Jr.

“As the nation’s largest association representing small-business truckers and professional drivers, OOIDA argues that Congress must codify the U. S. Department of Transportation’s recent Final Rule on non-domiciled CDLs so it cannot be weakened or reversed by a future administration,” OOIDA said in the letter.

According to OOIDA, non-domiciled CDLs allow certain non-U. S. citizens and non-permanent residents to operate commercial motor vehicles in the U. S. , but the licensing process has long contained significant safety and screening deficiencies.

The association argues states have struggled to comply with federal requirements, including verifying up to 10 years of an applicant’s driving history when records are located outside the U. S. OOIDA noted that it urged U. S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in August 2025 to suspend states’ authority to issue non-domiciled CDLs because of those concerns.

The association also backed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s final rule, which took effect earlier this year and significantly restricts eligibility for non-domiciled CDLs. However, Spencer wrote that administrative rulemaking alone is not enough. “Only Congress can make these protections permanent,” Spencer wrote in the letter to Johnson.

Association cites fatal Pennsylvania crash OOIDA linked its renewed push for Dalilah’s Law to the death of Trooper Pahira, who was struck and killed July 1 while conducting a commercial vehicle inspection along Interstate 81. According to the association, the truck driver involved had continued operating in the U. S.

after his immigration parole status had been terminated but still possessed a valid non-domiciled CDL issued by Massachusetts. OOIDA argues the driver would not have qualified for a CDL had the provisions contained in Dalilah’s Law already been in effect.

“Trooper Pahira’s death is a devastating reminder that our current CDL system lacks the safeguards needed to keep unqualified and unvetted drivers off the road,” Spencer wrote.

Bill awaits House floor action The legislation cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in March by a 35-26 vote but has not yet received a vote before the full House.

OOIDA is asking Johnson to schedule floor consideration “without further delay,” saying that strengthening commercial driver licensing standards is a public safety issue affecting truck drivers, law enforcement officers and the traveling public.

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