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House approves requirement to mark citizenship status on new driver'licenses and use provisional ballots for non-citizen IDs
Summary
HB 2587, requiring citizenship status on newly issued driver's licenses at renewal and allowing provisional ballots when a voter presents a non-citizen ID, passed the House 77-42 after supporters said it follows court guidance on backend verification and opponents warned of profiling and harm to non-citizen residents.
Representative Proctor presented the conference committee report on HB 2587 (containing prior HB 2448), explaining the bill requires the Department of Revenue to place citizenship status on newly issued driver'licenses at renewal and requires poll workers to provide a provisional ballot to someone presenting a non-citizen ID who claims to be eligible; voters submitting provisional ballots would later have to provide confirmation documentation (e.g., U.S. passport or naturalization certificate).
Proctor emphasized that the bill would not require everyone to obtain a new license immediately and that current MVA practice already requires documentary proof when applying for a license. "Nobody has to go get a new driver's license because of this bill," he said, adding it applies at renewal.
Opponents including Representative Haskins said marking citizenship on licenses risks stigma and profiling and urged colleagues to consider harms to legally present non-citizen workers and residents. Supporters cited court guidance saying front-end citizenship checks are legally constrained and that verification belongs on the "back end," arguing this approach supports election integrity while following legal constraints.
The final roll call was 77 in favor and 42 against; the House declared passage of the conference committee report on HB 2587.
