Committee advances bill to give more time for IDs, restricted licenses for people leaving custody

Senator Urban introduced HB 1241 (by Rep. Tosh) and said probation and community corrections officers asked for the change to help people leaving custody get identification and access to work. "We need to make sure that when people are released, parolees ... need to be able to have jobs. They need to find a job. But we also need to make sure that they have a license or an ID," the sponsor said.

Kevin Murphy of the Department of Arkansas Community Corrections told the committee the bill "expands existing law here" by adding time before and after release to obtain driver's licenses and ID cards and by allowing restricted driver's licenses on the back end. "We were losing a lot of them," Murphy said, describing how inmates left custody without credentials and could not meet employment or reporting requirements.

Senator Hammer and others asked whether suspended-driver fees or court-ordered fees would prevent license issuance. Murphy said court-ordered fees and restitution remain in effect but that the bill addresses the reinstatement fee: current law allows waiver before release in some cases; the bill would give additional opportunity after release to waive reinstatement fees and to issue restricted licenses limited to work, church, probation office and programs. "The only thing in question is the reinstatement fee itself," Murphy said, adding that restricted licenses remain available to facilitate work and program attendance even if fees exist.

Committee members discussed practical enforcement and administrative impacts; DFA staff said the change would not create a substantial verification burden. The committee approved the bill by voice vote; the motion was "due passed" by Senator Pitch and seconded by Senator Hammer. The transcript does not include a roll-call tally.