Session: 2021-2022
ACLU-PA Position: Supports
HB 279 would allow a Pennsylvania resident to apply for a driver’s license or identification card using a secure alternative to a social security number, such as a federal tax identification number or a combination of documents that reliably proves the applicant’s identity. It would expand access to employment, increase state revenue generated by new licensing and registration fees, and enhance safety for all drivers by increasing the number of drivers who are licensed and insured. HB 279 would also add a host of crucial protections for driver data, including safeguards around the sharing of personal information and creating a common sense approach to processing identification documents without indefinitely retaining private documents. And streamlining the application process would bring Pennsylvania up to date with 18 other states, including New Jersey, Delaware, and New York, which all offer licenses to all residents regardless of immigration status.
The House Transportation committee held a hearing on HB 279 on August 11, 2021. Read the ACLU-PA’s testimony in support of HB 279.
Check the bill's status here.
