Dalilah’s Law Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4224
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-13T17:55:00Z
AI-Generated Summary
Legislation Summary: Dalilah's Law Act (S. 4224)
Purpose
To enhance road safety by prohibiting certain non-citizens (referred to as "covered aliens," such as undocumented immigrants, those ordered removed, or parolees) from using commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) in interstate or foreign commerce, while imposing strict penalties, verification requirements, and immigration consequences.
Key Provisions
Title I: Keeping Our Roads Safe
- New Crime (18 U.S.C. § 40B): Bars covered aliens from presenting or using a CDL while driving a commercial vehicle across state lines or internationally.
- Penalties: Fine and up to 5 years imprisonment; mandatory minimums for accidents (1 year if accident only, 2 years if bodily injury, life imprisonment or death penalty if death results).
- State Officials: Must verify applicant's immigration status via E-Verify (a federal employment eligibility system) or state equivalent before issuing CDLs; violation punishable by fine and up to 1 year imprisonment.
- Businesses: $50,000 civil penalty per violation for knowingly aiding or conspiring with covered aliens.
- Civil Remedies: Victims of accidents (or their families) can sue for triple damages, costs, and attorney fees; extends liability to those who help covered aliens obtain CDLs.
- Reporting: Attorney General must report arrests, licenses issued, accidents, and enforcement plans to Congress within 180 days.
- Death Penalty Factor (18 U.S.C. § 3592): Adds covered alien's CDL use causing a fatal crash as an aggravating factor in federal death penalty cases.
- Immigration Effects (Immigration and Nationality Act): Violation becomes an "aggravated felony," triggering deportation; makes offenders inadmissible to the U.S.
Title II: Transportation
- CDL Standards (49 U.S.C. § 31308): States must require CDL applicants to provide E-Verify or equivalent proof of employment eligibility (often tied to legal work authorization).
- Federal enforcement by Attorney General via lawsuits to stop violations.
- State attorneys general can sue the U.S. Secretary of Transportation for injunctive relief (court orders to act) if unverified CDLs harm the state or citizens (e.g., injury or $100+ monetary loss).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Creates a new federal crime (18 U.S.C. § 40B) with escalating penalties linked to accident severity, including rare death penalty for traffic deaths.
- Mandates E-Verify for CDL issuance, previously voluntary for many states.
- Adds immigration bars and felony status, expanding deportable offenses.
- Introduces triple damages and broad civil liability for aiders/abettors.
- Authorizes state lawsuits against federal officials for enforcement lapses.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for DOJ (prosecutions, reports), DHS (immigration enforcement), DOT (oversight), and state DMVs (verifications); enables state-federal lawsuits.
- Citizens: Improves road safety by deterring unlicensed commercial driving; provides stronger civil recourse for crash victims.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though stricter rules may affect foreign truckers or parolees.
- Trucking Sector: Disrupts operations relying on covered alien drivers; risks fines for non-compliant employers.
Main Stakeholders
- Covered Aliens: Face criminal, civil, and deportation risks.
- State/Local Officials: Required to verify status; personally liable for failures.
- Trucking Businesses/Employers: Penalized for aiding violations; must ensure driver eligibility.
- Accident Victims/Families: Gain enhanced remedies.
- Federal Agencies (DOJ, DHS, DOT): New enforcement duties.
- States: Empowered to sue federally but burdened by compliance.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Expands federal criminal jurisdiction over state-issued CDLs; ties traffic offenses to immigration and capital punishment (death penalty requires specific federal procedures).
- Constitutional: May face challenges on equal protection (targeting aliens), due process (mandatory minimums), or federalism (mandating state E-Verify use); civil suits could test Eleventh Amendment state immunity.
- Political: Advances immigration enforcement through transportation safety; named "Dalilah's Law" suggests response to specific incident, potentially polarizing on border security vs. labor needs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY], Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Dalilah’s Law Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (11 pages)