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Opponents call SB 13 divisive; sponsors say bill would refuse recognition of IDs issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants
Summary
Senate Bill 13 would instruct New Hampshire not to recognize out‑of‑state driver’s licenses that are issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants, a sponsor aide told the Senate Transportation Committee; opponents called the proposal divisive and said it applies to only a small number of specially marked licenses.
Senate Bill 13, introduced by staff for Sen. Bill Gannon, would direct New Hampshire not to recognize out‑of‑state driver’s licenses that were issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants or that are marked to indicate non‑federal identification status when the mark denotes undocumented‑only issuance.
Grant Bossi introduced the bill for the sponsor, saying the intent is to avoid validating licenses that state sponsors contend are issued only to undocumented immigrants and to prevent perceived risks associated with states or localities issuing driver credentials without federal identity vetting. Bossi said the bill would not require police officers to interrogate drivers during traffic stops and said the measure would not affect licenses that are identical to standard state licenses.
Kathy Brune, a Durham resident, testified in opposition, calling the bill “hostile” and saying scholarly data indicate undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.‑born residents; she noted Connecticut and Delaware are the only states identified during the hearing as issuing distinct licenses of the type the bill would target and said many states use “not for federal identification” markers for other reasons (e.g., not Real ID) that are unrelated to immigration status.
Janet Bouchard, deputy director at the New Hampshire DMV, said the DMV is neutral and provided an informational overview: many states issue licenses to undocumented immigrants, but only Connecticut and Delaware issue the distinct credentials the bill targets. She told the committee the DMV can track state practice and post a list but that, for many states, the license presented is indistinguishable from a standard license, making enforcement of an across‑the‑board invalidation impractical.
Committee members asked for more details on which states would be covered and about interstate reciprocity and the driver’s license compact; the sponsor agreed to provide additional information. No law enforcement witness testified during the hearing. The committee closed testimony after public comment and DMV information.
