House bills would allow undocumented immigrants receive driver’s licenses

A new effort is hoping to allow legislation to expand all Florida residents to be able to earn a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status.

SB 1358 was introduced by State Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez and in the Florida House of Representatives by Representative Dotie Joseph. In a statement released to a CBS affiliate the pair said this is a step forward for all Floridians.

“Creating a process for all Florida residents to earn a driver’s license would be a major step forward for millions of hardworking Florida families, while boosting public safety and helping to grow our state’s economy. These individuals should be required to follow the same process as other Floridians to earn a license, including taking a pre-licensing or driver education course and passing a road test.

“Ensuring that all Floridians can obtain a license and insurance to drive – regardless of their immigration status – will help more individuals travel more easily to their workplaces, take their kids to school, and seek medical attention for their loved ones in an emergency. We are grateful to Senator Rodriguez and Representative Joseph for their leadership to keep Florida families safe. This commonsense legislation is good for our economy, and keeps every Floridian safer on the road – and we urge their colleagues to move this bill forward in a bipartisan way.”

As of May 2017, twelve states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Vermont, and Washington), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have laws in their books that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license or some type of driving permit.