Barron’s Law: What New Trucking Legislation Could Mean for Carriers, Drivers and Safety
The trucking industry is facing another potential shift in federal safety and compliance requirements following the introduction of H.R. 10620, the Trucking Safety and Accountability Act of 2026, also known as “Barron’s Law.” Introduced in the U.S. House on September 28, 2026, the legislation would make significant changes to commercial motor vehicle safety requirements, including stronger penalties for carriers that knowingly use ineligible drivers, standardized English-language testing for CDL applicants, additional requirements for non-citizen commercial drivers, tougher penalties for cabotage violations, and measures intended to prevent so-called “chameleon carriers” from avoiding federal safety sanctions. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. For trucking companies, the proposal is about more than immigration or licensing. It could substantially increase the importance of driver qualification, employment verificati...