Bill to require weigh stations along interstates to check truckers for English and CDL compliance
A Florida Congressman introduced new legislation to require that all weigh stations check Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) for irregularities and verify the English Language Proficiency (ELP) of truckers passing through the facilities.
On September 9, 2025, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds announce the new bill H.R. 5177, also known as “Weigh station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act.”
“Specifically, “The WEIGH Act” empowers the Department of Transportation (DOT) to utilize weigh stations along interstate highways to enforce President Trump’s April 28th Executive Order entitled “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers.” H.R. 5177 directs DOT to ensure states enforce English language proficiency requirements and review CDLs for irregularities during checks at weigh stations. States that fail to comply with weigh station enforcement protocols set by the Secretary of Transportation will risk revocation of their CDL program authority and federal highway dollars,” Donalds said in a news release announcing the bill.
The bill was written in response to public uproar over a crash involving truck driver Harjinder Singh, who is accused of making an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike that resulted in a crash that killed three people. In the wake of the crash, USDOT said that Singh failed an ELP test and accused California, Washington, and New Mexico of wrongdoing in enforcing ELP and CDL requirements with respect to Singh. USDOT threatened to withhold funding unless the states enforce the ELP and CDL rules.
“The failure of states to enforce basic and commonsense requirements for truckers is putting every American motorist at risk,” said Donalds . “At the state level, Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Simpson have taken action to protect Floridians, but it’s imperative that we expand this effort nationwide. Under my ‘WEIGH Act,’ all weigh stations along interstate highways will be required to enforce President Trump’s Executive Order to review commercial driver licenses for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers. Safety must be the standard, not the exception, and on Capitol Hill I’m fighting to ensure that the American people are put first every step of the way. The elimination of these threats to the American people is non-negotiable.”
Officials recently announced that Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) agents will be “stationing at interdiction checkpoints to work together with federal and state partners on immigration enforcement and checking for English proficiency for commercial drivers while continuing agricultural inspections.”
“The Florida Department of Agriculture is proud to be a force multiplier for President Trump’s comprehensive border security effort,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “If you drive a truck through our interdiction stations, you’re prepared for us to check your load for bugs and drugs. Because of President Trump, we now do so much more. Since he took office, we have helped take nearly 150 illegal immigrants off our streets – including murders and child predators. We’ll also call if a driver cannot communicate in the English language. If you can’t read our signs, you shouldn’t be on our roads. Ag law will find those who violate our laws and we will ensure that justice is served.”