Federal and state representatives from Northeast Pennsylvania are renewing calls for tighter commercial driver's license (CDL) laws following the July 1 crash that killed state Trooper Michael Pahira Jr.
Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Luzerne County) led a moment of silence on the U.S. House floor Tuesday afternoon to remember "the courageous life and tragic loss" of Pahira. The trooper died after investigators say a tractor-trailer driven by Michael Bon, a Haitian national, struck two vehicles and the trooper. Bon faces charges in the case.
Pahira, 44, was conducting a commercial vehicle inspection on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County.
Meuser urged Congress to pass a pending bill that would require states to issue CDLs only to U.S. residents, green card holders, and those with temporary work visas.
It also would further establish rules requiring proficiency in English for all those obtaining a CDL.
"I am calling on every member of Congress to support Dalilah’s Law, to bring common sense and strengthen commercial driver's license requirements, ensuring those with commercial driver's licenses can read English and are in the United States with legal status," Meuser said.
The bill is named for for Dalilah Coleman, who was only 5 when she was struck in California in 2024 by a semi-truck driver who federal officials say was in the country illegally.
Bon's status explained
Bon, 33, who lives in Brockton, Mass., had applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the U.S. in October 2024 but it was never granted.
In March 2025 — after his TPS application but prior to being told to leave the country in June 2025 — Bon successfully applied for a "non-domiciled" CDL from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Non-domiciled CDLs were issued by states to people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents before a federal order stopped the practice earlier this year.
As of February there were an estimated 194,000 non-domiciled CDL holders in the country, federal records show.
The Department of Homeland Security said last week that Bon "remained in the United States illegally after his humanitarian parole was terminated in June 2025."
Massachusetts officials confirmed to WVIA News that Bon was legally eligible for a CDL at the time he applied in March 2025, because he had not been ordered to leave the country at that time and was listed as eligible to work in the country according to a federally maintained database.
Defense attorney John Waldron this week said Bon's immigration status "had nothing to do" with causing the crash, and he is focusing on whether an untreated history of seizures may have played a role.
Calls for federal reform intensify
Calls to reform CDL laws were underway nationwide and in states including Pennsylvania as early as last year, prior to the crash that killed Pahira.
His death has given added urgency to those pushing for change.
Meuser was joined on the House floor by a bipartisan group of Pennsylvania representatives, including Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks County), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware County),
Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester County), Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh County), Rob Bresnahan (R-Luzerne County), Scott Perry (R-York County), Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster County), Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Centre County), Mike Kelly (R-Butler County) and
Christopher Deluzio (D-Allegheny County), as well as Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn).
Breshanan on Monday hosted a press conference in Lackawanna County with law enforcement and trucking industry groups speaking out in favor of Dalilah's Law.
“When individual states fail to enforce the rules for CDLs, citizens and law enforcement in every state pay the price,” Bresnahan said in a release issued after the gathering.
“With five major interstates running through our district, Northeastern Pennsylvania sits at the crossroads of our nation’s supply chain, which means thousands of trucks are on our roads every day. That’s a tremendous economic asset, but it also means we have an obligation to make sure the people behind the wheel are properly qualified,” Bresnahan's statement added.
“At a minimum, anyone entrusted with operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle should be legally authorized to hold a CDL and be able to communicate in English," he said. "I was proud to cosponsor Dalilah’s Law and support it in the House (Transportation and Infrastructure) Committee, and I will continue to push adamantly to get this to the President’s desk.”
WVIA NEWS COVERAGE IN DEPTH
● July 1: State trooper killed in Schuylkill County crash loved cooking, cars and family
● July 2: Mass. trucker faces homicide charge in death of Pa. trooper on Interstate 81
● July 6: Crash underscores concerns about granting CDLs to non-citizens
● July 8: Friends, family, law enforcement mourn a 'life cut too short'
● July 13: Defense attorney says suspect had history of seizures
Pennsylvania laws in focus
The crash that killed Pahira took place in state Sen. Dave Argall's district, and the trooper was from there as well.
"It was just, you know, devastating to his family, to the entire community," Argall (R-Schuylkill County) said. "I don't believe I've ever seen as many police officers in one location as I did at his memorial ceremony."
Argall echoed calls to pass Dalilah’s Law and said he conveyed that to Meuser. He's also in favor of three measures pending before the state legislature in Harrisburg.
As described in an email from Argall's office:
● Senate Bill 1294 would end "CDL mills" by establishing stronger penalties against illegitimate CDL training providers. The Senate approved the bill in May by a bipartisan vote of 48-2. It is now under consideration by the House Appropriations Committee.
● Senate Bill 1295 would require English proficiency for all CDL testing. The Senate approved the bill in May by a bipartisan vote of 32-18. It is now under consideration by the House Transportation Committee.
● Senate Bill 1296 would establish new penalties for out-of-service violations, including operating a commercial vehicle without English comprehension, to remove unsafe drivers from Pennsylvania roads. The Senate Transportation Committee approved the bill in April by a bipartisan vote of 10-5. It is now under consideration by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"I think we have an excellent chance with the first bill. Not certain yet on the following two, but the first bill in particular has received very strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate," Argall told WVIA News.
Argall and Rep. Tim Twardzik (R-Schuylkill County) are also planning to introduce legislation to rename a portion of I-81 in Schuylkill County as the “PSP Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr. Memorial Interchange.”
"I never had so many senators reply to me within minutes," Argall said of the proposal. "It didn't matter where they were from. It didn't matter what party. This is one of those moments that ... I think galvanizes attention."
Similarly, Argall said his office received many messages in the wake of Pahira's death calling for legislative action on CDL reform.
What are they saying?
"I think if I could summarize it into two words, it's very simple: Do something," Argall said.
