WASHINGTON — A Senate lawmaker is pushing back against the Trump administration’s push to crack down on English proficiency for commercial truck drivers, seeking to expand it from heavy-duty trucking to the gig economy.
Rep. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., on Thursday introduced the Basic English Comprehension (UBER) Act, which would require drivers in ride-hailing programs that receive federal government contracts to be fluent in English.
Under the law, non-compliant ride-sharing platforms are barred from receiving federal contracts for five years.
“America is an English-speaking country. If you want to live and work in the United States, you must be able to speak and read our language,” Tuberville said in introducing the law.
“Too many Americans have died as a result of lax standards and illegal immigrants who don’t speak or read English driving on our roads. Ride-sharing companies, especially those that receive taxpayer funding, have a duty to check drivers who transport American citizens on our roads.”
Specifically, the rule ensures that ride-sharing drivers can:
- Speak English to the general public and law enforcement officials.
- Understand American highway traffic signs.
- Answer official questions in English.
- File reports and records in English.
Uber (NYSE: UBER ) — as the bill’s name suggests — would be the primary target of the legislation. In July, the US Government Services Administration, the federal government’s procurement arm, extended an exclusive contract with Uber for Business for another five years to provide ride-sharing access to millions of federal employees worth $75 million.
In addition to major ride-sharing platforms like Uber and Lyft, the bill would require English proficiency in federal contracts with any licensed entity that provides shared transportation, including taxis, limos, carpooling, vanpooling and shuttle services.
Tuberville acknowledged that he wants to align English proficiency standards for gig drivers with restrictions imposed this year by the federal Motor Transportation Safety Administration on commercial truck driver license requirements, which have put thousands of trucks and drivers out of business.
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