Tennessee committee debates bill to criminalize operation of commercial vehicles by undocumented drivers

NASHVILLE — On March 3, members of the Tennessee House Transportation Committee debated a bill introduced by Deputy Speaker Zachary that would make it a misdemeanor for a person unlawfully present in the United States to operate a commercial motor vehicle in Tennessee and would create a private right of action against drivers, their employers and the state that issued a driver credential.

Zachary, speaking to the committee, framed the measure as a public‑safety response to crashes he said were caused by noncitizen drivers holding commercial driver’s licenses he characterized as improperly issued. "We as a legislature have a responsibility to protect the well‑being of Tennesseans," Zachary said, and cited a DA's conference report he said showed 11,344 unlawfully present people committed 21,648 crimes in 2025, including "41 murders" and other violent offenses.

Representative Pearson challenged the bill’s premise and language at multiple points, saying the term "illegals" is dehumanizing and that the state lacks Tennessee‑specific data showing a need for the change. "Illegal may be an action, but it is not a person," Pearson said, and she questioned whether federal statutes do not already prohibit employer conduct targeted by the bill.

Committee legal counsel Joel Hayes clarified a drafting detail for members: a clause in the bill that addresses "choice of law" would mean Tennessee law would apply to claims arising from an unlawfully present person's operation of a commercial vehicle even if a contract otherwise selected another state's law, Hayes said.

Zachary told colleagues that he and supporters had consulted stakeholders including trucking associations and insurers and said some states were not enforcing federal prohibitions on credentialing. He offered to submit lists of incidents and other documentation to the committee.

The committee did not record a final vote on the bill itself during the session. Earlier in the meeting the committee approved an amendment (drafting code 014381) related to the bill in a voice and roll‑call exchange; that amendment vote was recorded on the floor during the discussion. Members asked staff and legal counsel for additional information, including whether Tennessee agencies could supply a current count of the number of commercial driver licenses held by people unlawfully present in the state.

What happens next: Committee members signaled they would consult legal staff and outside reports for more state‑specific data; no further procedural action on the bill was recorded in the transcript for March 3.