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Senate OKs measure to invalidate certain out‑of‑state licenses issued to undocumented immigrants
Summary
The Senate adopted a committee amendment and voted 15–8 to send SB 13, which would invalidate out‑of‑state driver’s licenses issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants, to third reading after debate over public‑safety impacts and interstate reciprocity.
The New Hampshire Senate advanced Senate Bill 13, a measure to invalidate classes of out‑of‑state driver’s licenses issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants or substantially similar credentials, voting 15–8 to order the bill to third reading.
Senator Gannon, who presented the judiciary committee recommendation, said the bill targets licenses that are clearly issued only to undocumented immigrants and would allow officers to identify such credentials at traffic stops. “SB 13 simply makes clear that an out of state license that is issued to an undocumented illegal alien will not be recognized as legal in New Hampshire,” Gannon said.
Supporters argued the measure is a public‑safety tool and would not require officers to investigate immigration status at every stop; it would apply when a license’s distinguishing markings indicate it was issued under a program for undocumented migrants. “We won't have any road stops that are... based on race or speech,” Gannon said; rather, he said stops would be triggered by visible license markings.
Opponents questioned costs and logistics and said law enforcement did not request the bill. Senator Altschuler said, “How much time will be wasted having police go through the process of invalidating legally obtained driver's licenses?” and noted testimony that a proposed database would initially include only a few states. Some senators warned of unintended consequences for interstate cooperation under the Driver License Compact and other information‑sharing agreements.
After debate, the committee amendment was adopted and the motion that SB 13 ought to pass as amended was adopted by roll call, 15 in favor and 8 opposed. The bill was ordered to third reading for further consideration.
The floor debate included discussion of practical issues such as differing license markings among states, potential database costs, and the bill's limited reach to states that issue such specialized credentials. The transcript shows senators on both sides urging careful review of impacts on law enforcement resources and interstate cooperation.
