During a press conference on Friday, Duffy reported that a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) review found New York is the state most likely to violate federal law when issuing “non-domiciled” commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
[snip]
“But we also found that New York many times won’t even verify whether they have a work authorization, they have a visa, or they’re in the country legally,” he added. “So they’re just giving eight-year commercial driver’s licenses to people who are coming through their DMV and sending them out on American roadways — and again they’re endangering the lives of American families.”
This conference came after the DOT, along with the Federal Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), launched a nationwide audit of states issuing CDLs.
[snip]
Of the 32,000 New York CDLs used across the U.S., a random FMCSA check of 200 records found that 107 violated federal law.
“When more than half of the licenses reviewed were issued illegally, it isn’t just a mistake—it is a dereliction of duty by state leadership,” Duffy said. “If they refuse to follow the law, we will withhold federal highway funding.”
“You don’t just drive in New York if you get a New York commercial driver’s license — you drive around the country,” Duffy stressed.
The DOT officials have also launched a probe to investigate whether a Chinese national accused of causing a fatal pileup on a Tennessee highway was illegally issued a New York State driver’s license.
[snip]
The transportation secretary has threatened to withhold millions from California, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota after the audits found a plethora of problems under the existing rules like commercial licenses being valid after an immigrant truck driver’s work permit expired. California has recently revoked 17,000 licenses.
* Original Article:
Audit: Over half of New York commercial licenses violate federal law
