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Committee approves bill to place U.S. citizenship emblem on state IDs; OMV to implement with new system
Summary
The committee reported HB 613 to add an American eagle emblem to Louisiana driver’s licenses to indicate U.S. citizenship; OMV said no additional documentation beyond existing issuance rules would be required and that the emblem would be added upon renewal or new issuance once the agency’s new system is implemented.
Representative Horton proposed House Bill 6 13 to display an American eagle emblem on driver's licenses and state ID cards to indicate U.S. citizenship. The sponsor said the emblem would help some constituents avoid repeated requests to prove citizenship and could be useful for voter registration contexts if federal rules change.
Members asked whether the emblem would be recognized by other states or the federal government, and how it would interact with the Real ID program. OMV staff and other presenters explained that the emblem would be state-specific and would not change federal Real ID status; the indicator would be applied at new issuance, renewal, or when a duplicate credential is issued after OMV’s modernization system is in place.
Committee discussion also covered whether additional documentation would be required to obtain the emblem; OMV staff said the agency already records citizenship status for credentials issued under current procedures, and no extra documentation beyond what is currently required for proof of citizenship was expected for most customers. Lawmakers debated whether the emblem would meet interstate recognition needs, with at least one member noting that only a few states had implemented similar indicators.
After debate the committee voted to report the bill to the House floor (roll call 8–5). Members asked OMV to coordinate statutory language with the agency’s system rollout schedule so the emblem can be implemented without incurring additional fiscal cost.
