# Iowa SF 2426: 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. Iowa SF 2426, 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., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) Senate bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION; status signed, last action 2026-05-27 (Fiscal note.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2426-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-18 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Iowa SF 2426 - State: Iowa - Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) - 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. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-02-23 - Last action: 2026-05-27, Fiscal note. - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 5 (290 yes, 79 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Cargo owners gain notice and liability protection: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, officers stopping drivers for English violations must tell the carrier and cargo owner where the vehicle is. The carrier or cargo owner can arrange a replacement driver with the required English skills or transfer the cargo. Iowa, local authorities, and the cargo owner are n… - Commercial drivers face English violation penalties: cost, high. Beginning July 1, 2026, drivers who cannot show the federally required English skills cannot operate commercial vehicles in Iowa. A violation is a serious misdemeanor carrying a $1,000 fine and possible jail time of up to one year. An officer instead orders the driver out of service if the driver h… - Commercial drivers face new English testing: cost, high. Iowa requires a computer-based English test to get or renew a commercial driver’s license or learner’s permit. Testing begins March 1, 2027, or earlier if the transportation director certifies that the required records system phase is ready. Applicants must show proof of passing to receive or renew… - Carriers face English fines and shutdowns: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, carriers operating in Iowa cannot employ or engage drivers, including contractors, who lack federally required English skills. Each such driver is a separate simple misdemeanor offense with a $10,000 scheduled fine. Officers must order a carrier out of service when an invest… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-15 | House | Passed House | pass | 73 | 22 | | | 2026-04-08 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 39 | 5 | | | 2026-03-31 | House | Passed House | pass | 68 | 24 | | | 2026-03-31 | legislature | Amendment H-8273 to amendment H-8265 | pass | 63 | 28 | | | 2026-02-25 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 47 | 0 | | ## Actions (38) - 2026-05-27: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-05-02: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2026-05-02: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. (Senate) - 2026-05-02: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2026-04-16: Message from House. (Senate) - 2026-04-15: Immediate message. (House) - 2026-04-15: Passed House, yeas 73, nays 22. (House) - 2026-04-15: House concurred in Senate amendment H-8337. (House) - 2026-04-08: Senate amendment H-8337 filed. (House) - 2026-04-08: Message from Senate. (House) - 2026-04-08: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Passed Senate, yeas 39, nays 5. (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Senate concurred with S-5148, as amended. (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Amendment S-5156 adopted. (Senate) - 2026-04-06: Amendment S-5156 to S-5148 filed. (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-03-31: Message from House, with amendment S-5148. (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Immediate message. (House) - 2026-03-31: Passed House, yeas 68, nays 24. (House) - 2026-03-31: Amendments H-8061 and H-8065 out of order. (House) - 2026-03-31: Amendment H-8265 adopted, as amended. (House) - 2026-03-31: Amendment H-8273 to amendment H-8265, yeas 63, nays 28, filed, adopted. (House) - 2026-03-31: Amendments H-8060, H-8081 and H-8087 withdrawn. (House) - 2026-03-31: Substituted for HF 2700. (House) - 2026-03-25: Amendment H-8265 filed. (House) - 2026-03-19: Placed on calendar under unfinished business. (House) - 2026-03-02: Amendments H-8065, H-8081 and H-8087 filed. (House) - 2026-03-02: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-02-26: Amendments H-8060 and H-8061 filed. (House) - 2026-02-26: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-02-26: Read first time, passed on file. (House) - 2026-02-25: Message from Senate. (House) - 2026-02-25: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Passed Senate, yeas 47, nays 0. (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Amendment S-5029 filed, adopted. (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-02-23: Committee report, approving bill. (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Introduced, placed on calendar. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF2426.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF2426.pdf) ## Related bills - HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 785.) Effective date: 10/02/20… (signed) - SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, by modifying property assessment provisions, divisions… (signed) - HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduc… (signed) - SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly SSB 3162.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Formerly SF 2317, SSB 3121.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program. (Formerly SF 2176.) Vetoed 6-2-26. (vetoed) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF2426.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF2426.pdf) ## Related - [HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2801-2025-2026) - [SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2472-2025-2026) - [HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ball…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2601-2025-2026) - [SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2399-2025-2026) - [SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Former…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2471-2025-2026) - [SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or conc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2299-2025-2026) - [Iowa bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa/bills) - [Iowa state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2426-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-18).