SB164

The amendment reorganizes and clarifies the bill's English language proficiency requirement for commercial driver licenses by restructuring South Dakota's commercial driver licensing law to align with updated federal standards (as of January 1, 2026) and explicitly adding a new provision requiring applicants to demonstrate English language proficiency under federal regulations. This STRENGTHENS the bill's original purpose by codifying the English proficiency requirement within a comprehensive rewrite of commercial licensing standards rather than as a standalone amendment.

The amendment completely rewrote the bill to replace South Dakota's existing commercial driver license regulations with a streamlined version that incorporates federal standards by reference, and it clarifies that English language proficiency is already required under federal regulations (49 C.F.R. § 391.11) rather than imposing a separate state requirement. This NARROWS the bill's original intent by making it declarative of existing federal requirements rather than adding an independent state mandate.