OOIDA urges House vote on Dalilah’s Law after Pa. crash

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring Dalilah’s Law to the House floor, saying Congress should permanently codify recent federal limits on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses.

In a letter sent Wednesday, OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer said H.R. 5688 would close what the group calls dangerous loopholes in the CDL system that have allowed unqualified or insufficiently vetted drivers to get licenses. OOIDA said the bill is especially important after the July 1 death of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira Jr.

OOIDA said 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. The association also said states have had trouble meeting federal requirements, including verifying up to 10 years of an applicant’s driving history when records are outside the U.S.

The group said it urged U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in August 2025 to suspend states’ authority to issue non-domiciled CDLs. It also backed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s final rule, which took effect earlier this year and significantly restricts eligibility for those licenses.

OOIDA tied its push to the death of Trooper Pahira, who was struck and killed July 1 while conducting a commercial vehicle inspection along Interstate 81. The association said the driver involved had continued operating in the U.S. after his immigration parole status was terminated but still held a valid non-domiciled CDL issued by Massachusetts.

The bill cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in March by a 35-26 vote and has not yet received a vote in the full House.