(KRON) -- The California Highway Patrol has quietly begun testing commercial truck drivers for English language proficiency, KRON4 has confirmed. The enforcement comes after California initially refused to comply with a nationwide directive from the Trump Administration. On April 28 last year, Pres ident Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring English proficiency for commercial truck drivers. Under the Trump administration mandate, drivers who violate the English proficiency rules must be placed out of service. However, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, as of last October, California was the only state not in compliance with the policy. As a result, the Trump administration withheld over $40 million in funding from California. "California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in a statement. "This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America's road." Now it appears something has shifted. Our cameras caught the CHP assessing a driver's English-speaking ability during a CHP ride-along with "People Behaving Badly" host Stanley Roberts. (Watch the interaction in the player above) In the video, a CHP officer can be seen asking the driver questions about his English language proficiency during a traffic stop. The driver tells the officer he only understands a little English. The officer also produces a chart of traffic signs, asking the driver what they mean. The driver appears to struggle to answer the officer and ultimately fails the test. In this incident, no one was ticketed, but the truck's passenger, who spoke proficient English, was forced to take the wheel. Nick Chiappe, director of government and regulatory affairs for the California Trucking Association, posted about the policy several days ago on LinkedIn. "California Highway Patrol has begun enforcing the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for all drivers of commercial motor vehicles," Chiappe wrote. "Truck drivers in the state will now be subject to an ELP assessment at roadside inspections." The assessment, which is conducted by an inspector, will include an interview to determine the driver's ability to respond in English and the ability to "interpret road signs, including dynamic roadside message signs," Chiappe added. Failure to meet the criteria of the assessment will result in the driver being place out of service. KRON4's Eytan Wallace asked Gov. Gavin Newsom about the policy during a news conference in San Francisco Friday. The governor declined to address the question directly but spoke of "a lot of back and forth" with the administration. (Watch the governor's response in the video below) In his April executive order, President Trump said he "believes that English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs; communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel; and provide and receive feedback and directions in English." Previously, the president had signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. ...read more read less