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Lawmakers in both chambers approved legislation Friday that imposes felonies and fines on improperly credentialed truck drivers and tightens employer and training‑school penalties.
House Bill 1200 now heads to Gov. Mike Braun for final sign-off.
The measure passed the House 92-3 and the Senate 49-1.
Author Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, described the final draft as a broad enforcement push aimed at truck drivers operating with invalid or fraudulent credentials — and the companies that put them on the road.
Momentum for the proposal followed multiple fatal crashes involving semi-trucks in Indiana and a growing debate at the Statehouse this session over immigration enforcement and commercial driver licensing requirements.
The bill now would make it a Level 6 felony for a driver to operate with bad, false or expired credentials and impose a $5,000 penalty on such drivers.
Other provisions require Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles to periodically check non‑domiciled CDL licenses — meaning commercial licenses issued to drivers who are not permanent Indiana residents but are authorized to operate commercially in the United States — through federal Homeland Security systems and to revoke licenses if they are no longer valid.
The bill also creates new penalties of up to $50,000 for training schools that certify drivers without proper credentials.
Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, raised concerns, however, that the measure did not explicitly block those on asylum or parole programs — who under federal law can obtain work permits and CDLs — without further vetting, and suggested the bill missed an opportunity to close what he views as remaining loopholes.
“I had an amendment the other day that dealt with a specific type of people … that have never been vetted by any government,” Young said.
He warned that individuals who can legally obtain work permits and CDLs might still pose a danger if not appropriately screened.
Young also pressed on duplicate definitions of fraud in the criminal code and questioned the bill’s ability to collect fines from companies without assets. Even so, he ultimately voted in favor of the bill.
“I hope we don’t have somebody coming through the state of Indiana and killing our citizens because they’re a parolee who can’t speak English,” Young said.
Bill sponsor Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, defended the final language and said parolees must show legal documentation, like green cards, to secure CDLs and that the BMV felt existing vetting covered those concerns.
“No one filed a bill to address the things we’re talking about,” Crider said. “Rep. Pressel and I took it upon ourselves to amend the bill to include provisions that are going to keep people alive.”
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: [email protected].
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