English-only written driver exam sparks extended committee debate on safety and equity

Representative Bruce Sasseman presented House Bill 17-98, a one-sentence measure that would require the written portion of the noncommercial driver's examination to be administered in English only and would disallow translators. Sasseman said English is the official language in Missouri and argued a consistent English standard would help drivers understand road signs and marquee warnings.

Multiple committee members pushed back, saying parts of Missouri have highly diverse populations and that translated exams and manuals help new residents prepare to drive safely. Representative Woods, Representative Ealy and others explained large immigrant communities in their districts and warned that an English-only requirement could increase unlicensed driving and create barriers to employment and insurance. Questions also focused on whether the law solves an existing safety problem: members asked the sponsor and public witnesses for empirical evidence that limiting translated tests would reduce crashes.

Representative Kupps and others proposed compromises such as requiring an English-language appendix focusing on signs or issuing a temporary license for one year to non-English test takers who then must pass an English exam. Arnie C testified in support of the bill but acknowledged the need for compromise; he provided a fiscal note summary for administrative costs and urged members to consult MoDOT and the Highway Patrol for crash statistics. Joshua Schumacher of the Department of Revenue clarified the Department issues licenses but that the Highway Patrol administers testing and said the Department could not take a bill position in this hearing but would verify which materials are published in other languages.

The committee heard extensive remarks and questions but did not record a vote during this session.