A bill for an act relating to sufficient English language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers, providing penalties, and including applicability provisions.
SF 2426 requires commercial drivers in Iowa to demonstrate English language proficiency meeting federal standards (49 C.F.R. §391.11(b)(2)) to obtain or renew a commercial driver's license. The bill mandates a computer-based English proficiency exam administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation, with exemptions for those who previously passed the test. Drivers who fail to meet the requirement face a serious misdemeanor charge ($1,000 fine), while commercial motor carriers employing unproficient drivers risk fines up to $10,000 per violation. The law takes effect March 1, 2027, or upon implementation of a new state records system, whichever comes first.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 23, 2026
Signed May 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons
What changed between versions
Reprinted Marked Up
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Reprinted
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill text was cleaned of formatting errors and page artifacts while retaining the core policy language. The substantive requirements for English language proficiency exams, penalties for non-compliance, and the 2027 implementation timeline remain unchanged.
TECHNICAL
Removed decorative header text, signatures, and page numbering artifacts that cluttered the original document.
Added a clean title block identifying the bill as Senate File 2426, passed by the Senate on February 25, 2026.
Corrected inconsistent spacing and line breaks in the legal text to improve readability without altering the law's meaning.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 25, 2026
How they voted
46–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 49
Feb 25, 2026
D
Democratic15
93% Yea
R
Republican34
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
38
Key actions
11
Committee
1
Amendments
10
May 2, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by Governor.
upper
Apr 15, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 73, nays 22.
lower
Apr 15, 2026
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Senate amendment H-8337.
lower
Apr 8, 2026
Introduced
Senate amendment H-8337 filed.
lower
Apr 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 39, nays 5.
upper
Apr 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred with S-5148, as amended.
upper
Apr 8, 2026
Upper · Passed
Amendment S-5156 adopted.
upper
Apr 6, 2026
Introduced
Amendment S-5156 to S-5148 filed.
upper
Mar 31, 2026
Introduced
Message from House, with amendment S-5148.
upper
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 68, nays 24.
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Introduced
Amendments H-8061 and H-8065 out of order.
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-8265 adopted, as amended.
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-8273 to amendment H-8265, yeas 63, nays 28, filed, adopted.
lower
Mar 25, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8265 filed.
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Introduced
Amendments H-8065, H-8081 and H-8087 filed.
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Introduced
Amendments H-8060 and H-8061 filed.
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 47, nays 0.
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Introduced
Amendment S-5029 filed, adopted.
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee report, approving bill.
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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