Posted: | December 21, 2020 10:52 AM |
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From: | Representative Angel Cruz |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants |
Shortly, I will be re-introducing legislation requiring undocumented residents to obtain a Pennsylvania driver’s license. This legislation is first and foremost about public safety. It is about knowing who is driving on our roads and doing everything we can to ensure those drivers are safe and operating registered, insured vehicles. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, unlicensed drivers are almost five times more likely to be in a fatal crash than are licensed drivers. A driver’s license, therefore, is fundamentally a tool of public safety. Under this bill, applicants would be required to show proof of identity and verify at least 90 days of residency in Pennsylvania. The document would be valid for driving within Pennsylvania only, and license-holders won’t be able to use the document to get through airport security or be placed on the voter roll. However, this common-sense legislation would ensure all residents, regardless of their immigration status, study driving rules and pass both a physical examination and driving test before operating a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania. This bill would also cut down on the number of uninsured drivers since most auto insurance companies require a state-issued driver’s license number to obtain a policy. Pennsylvania’s undocumented residents used to be able to obtain a driver’s license. Restrictive policies that deny these individuals a license have no advantage to the Commonwealth, nor those that drive on the state’s roads. Please join me in supporting these rationale measures to improve the safety of Pennsylvania roads and highways. |
Introduced as HB639