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SF 2426IOWASession 2025-2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Iowa requires English proficiency exams for commercial drivers and imposes penalties for noncompliance

Original title: A bill for an act relating to sufficient English language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers, providing penalties, and including applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 2173 .) Effective date: 07/01/2026. Applicability date: Conditional.

Last action · May 27, 2026: Fiscal note .

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 2426, requiring the Iowa Department of Transportation to test commercial driver's license applicants for English language proficiency starting March 1, 2027, or when a new records system is implemented. The law prohibits non-proficient drivers from operating commercial motor vehicles, penalizing violators with a serious misdemeanor or s, and levies a $10,000 scheduled fine on commercial motor carriers that employ non-proficient drivers.

Why it matters

Commercial drivers, commercial motor carriers, and cargo owners face new testing mandates, $1,000 to $10,000 fines, potential misdemeanor charges, and out-of-service vehicle orders if drivers fail to demonstrate English proficiency meeting federal standards.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Commercial drivers

Commercial drivers and permit applicants must pass a computer-based English proficiency examination and face misdemeanor charges or out-of-service orders for noncompliance.

Directly affected

Commercial motor carriers

Carriers are prohibited from employing non-proficient drivers and face a $10,000 scheduled fine per violation and out-of-service orders.

Directly affected

Cargo owners

Cargo owners are notified if a commercial vehicle is stopped due to a violation and may arrange alternative drivers or cargo transfer.

Directly affected

Iowa Department of Transportation

The department is tasked with administering English language proficiency examinations and adopting administrative rules.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the English proficiency testing requirement take effect for commercial drivers?
The examination requirement applies on and after March 1, 2027, or on the date the department of transportation submits a statement that the new records system has been implemented, whichever is earlier.
What penalties do commercial motor carriers face for employing a driver without required English proficiency?
Carriers commit a simple misdemeanor punishable by a scheduled fine of ten thousand dollars per violation, and are subject to s.
Are drivers allowed to retake the English proficiency examination if they fail?
Yes, an applicant is not prohibited from retaking the examination, subject to its availability as determined by the department.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

59 actions
  1. May 27, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note .
  2. May 2, 2026SenateEnrolled
    Signed by Governor . S.J. 1013 .
  3. May 2, 2026Senate
    Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1013 .
  4. May 2, 2026House
    Explanation of vote. H.J. 1159 .
  5. Apr 16, 2026House
    Message from House. S.J. 813 .
  6. Apr 15, 2026House
    Immediate message. H.J. 917 .
Show 53 earlier actions
  1. Apr 15, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed House , yeas 73, nays 22. H.J. 909 .
  2. Apr 15, 2026HouseFloor
    House concurred in Senate amendment H-8337 . H.J. 909 .
  3. Apr 8, 2026House
    Senate amendment H-8337 filed. H.J. 868 .
  4. Apr 8, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 841 .
  5. Apr 8, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 760 .
  6. Apr 8, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Senate , yeas 39, nays 5. S.J. 756 .
  7. Apr 8, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate concurred with S-5148 , as amended. S.J. 756 .
  8. Apr 8, 2026SenateFloor
    Amendment S-5156 adopted. S.J. 756 .
  9. Apr 6, 2026Senate
    Amendment S-5156 to S-5148 filed. S.J. 730 .
  10. Apr 1, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note .
  11. Mar 31, 2026House
    Withdrawn. H.J. 783 .
  12. Mar 31, 2026House
    SF 2426 substituted. H.J. 772 .
  13. Mar 31, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8054 adopted. H.J. 772 .
  14. Mar 31, 2026House
    Message from House, with amendment S-5148 . S.J. 687 .
  15. Mar 31, 2026House
    Immediate message. H.J. 783 .
  16. Mar 31, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed House , yeas 68, nays 24. H.J. 774 .
  17. Mar 31, 2026House
    Amendments H-8061 and H-8065 out of order. H.J. 773 .
  18. Mar 31, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8265 adopted, as amended. H.J. 773 .
  19. Mar 31, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8273 to amendment H-8265 , yeas 63, nays 28, filed, adopted. H.J. 772 .
  20. Mar 31, 2026House
    Amendments H-8060 , H-8081 and H-8087 withdrawn. H.J. 772 .
  21. Mar 31, 2026House
    Substituted for HF 2700 . H.J. 772 .
  22. Mar 25, 2026House
    Amendment H-8265 filed. H.J. 753 .
  23. Mar 19, 2026House
    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 691 .
  24. Mar 19, 2026House
    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 691 .
  25. Mar 2, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note.
  26. Mar 2, 2026House
    Amendments H-8065 , H-8081 and H-8087 filed. H.J. 485 .
  27. Mar 2, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note .
  28. Feb 28, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note.
  29. Feb 26, 2026House
    Amendment H-8054 filed. H.J. 461 .
  30. Feb 26, 2026House
    Amendments H-8060 and H-8061 filed. H.J. 461 .
  31. Feb 26, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note .
  32. Feb 26, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read first time, passed on file. H.J. 438 .
  33. Feb 25, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 432 .
  34. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 403 .
  35. Feb 25, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Senate , yeas 47, nays 0. S.J. 403 .
  36. Feb 25, 2026SenateFloor
    Amendment S-5029 filed, adopted. S.J. 402 .
  37. Feb 25, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note .
  38. Feb 23, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 381 .
  39. Feb 23, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 2700 .
  40. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 2426 . S.J. 373 .
  41. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 373 .
  42. Feb 23, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 355 .
  43. Feb 18, 2026House
    Committee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 6. Excused, 1. H.J. 363 .
  44. Feb 18, 2026House
    Committee report, recommending amendment and passage. H.J. 363 .
  45. Feb 17, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
  46. Feb 12, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/17/2026 8:00AM RM 304.
  47. Feb 11, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
  48. Feb 10, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/11/2026 1:30PM Room 217 Conference Room.
  49. Feb 9, 2026House
    Subcommittee: Meyer, A., Meggers and Wilson. H.J. 238 .
  50. Feb 9, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to Transportation. H.J. 236 .
  51. Feb 9, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/11/2026 1:00PM Room 217 Conference Room.
  52. Feb 3, 2026Senate
    Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Shipley, and Winckler. S.J. 191 .
  53. Feb 2, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to Transportation. S.J. 177 .

Version history

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

W. Charles Smithson, Paul Pate, Iowa Department of Transportation and 4 more
PersonW. Charles Smithson“Secretary of the Senate”Map →
PersonPaul Pate“Secretary of State of Iowa receiving bill transmittal”Map →
OrganizationIowa Department of Transportation“Agency responsible for administering English language proficiency examinations”Map →
PersonKim Reynolds“Governor of Iowa signing Senate File 2426”Map →
PersonAmy Sinclair“Speaker of the House certifying the bill”Map →
PersonPat Grassley“President of the Senate certifying the bill”Map →
OrganizationFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration“Federal agency issuing out-of-service orders”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legis.iowa.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy50
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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