Indiana passes stricter CDL laws after two fatal truck crashes, requiring English proficiency and legal status, with penalties for drivers and employers.

Legislators in Indiana have passed a bill that would tighten commercial driver's license (CDL) requirements for immigrants in response to a string of deadly truck crashes, including one that killed Terry Schultz on February 18 and another that killed four people on February 3. The law requires proof of English proficiency, automatically revokes CDLs for drivers who do not have the proper legal status, and punishes drivers with a level six felony and a $5,000 fine, with employers facing fines of up to $50,000. Supported by Attorney General Todd Rokita and Governor Mike Braun, the bill expands the state's current power to cancel licenses for public safety reasons. Before the legislative session concludes on February 27, it will now go to the House for final approval. Information about the driver in the February 18 collision is restricted by federal law, and the investigation is still ongoing.