Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, REF - Sag Harbor) announced that the New York State Assembly passed the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, which would allow undocumented New Yorkers to apply for a standard state driver’s license (A.3675-B). This legislation, known as the Green Light bill, would improve road safety, raise revenue and boost the economy.

The Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act would allow undocumented New Yorkers to apply for a standard New York State driver’s license, which would continue to have “NOT FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES” stated on it, and is only to be used for the operation of a motor vehicle.

Assemblyman Thiele emphasized that the legislation would have no impact on:

• voting rights;
• eligibility to apply for an Enhanced or Real-ID license, which will soon be needed to board a plane; or
• Federal immigration laws or immigration status.

To keep more drivers and pedestrians safe, this legislation would require that undocumented license applicants pass a driving test, are informed of traffic laws and are properly licensed, which would help ensure they are operating registered, inspected and insured vehicles. It would also help police do their jobs by enabling them to verify a motorist’s identity, review their traffic records if necessary and better utilize resources that would otherwise be used to pursue these residents for driving without a license.

Further, applicants would pay a fee in order to receive the license, which would increase revenue to fix roads and bridges. Under current law, driver’s license fees are earmarked for the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund, which supports the Department of Transportation’s road and bridge capital program, and supplemental license fees paid in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Commuter District are deposited with the MTA.

Additionally, the measure would help bring down auto insurance premiums as accidents with uninsured motorists drive up costs for everyone. An increase in licensing and insured vehicles on the road will help bring down auto insurance premiums by about $17 per policy per year according to Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) estimates.^[1] These drivers are already on the roads – this measure makes sure that they’re insured when they get behind the wheel, Assemblyman Thiele noted. It would also provide a boost to local economies by removing barriers that prevent immigrant New Yorkers from commuting to work, particularly in rural or agricultural communities where public transportation is limited.

Our local economy depends on immigrants being economically self-sufficient. When residents can purchase and register cars legally, they are able to more fully participate in the community and patronize local businesses. Long Island’s county governments alone are expected to bring in $2.6 million every year in new sales tax and vehicle use fees. The state would receive an estimated $57 million in new annual revenue, according to data from the Fiscal Policy Institute.

“In many parts of our state, public transportation simply isn’t widely available and driving is a necessary fact of life, from getting to work to going to the grocery store. This is especially true on Long Island and the East End,” Assemblyman Thiele said. “For undocumented New Yorkers, they take a risk each time they need to drive because our current laws bar them from doing so. By removing these barriers, we can help them go about their daily lives while improving road safety and boosting local economies. It’s smart policy and helps ensure no one is pushed further into the shadows.”

Thiele continued, “It is the job of government to help every person achieve full economic mobility and to participate in their community while preserving public safety. This bill supports the efforts of law enforcement to protect our streets and neighborhoods, while simultaneously lifting up not only undocumented New Yorkers, but the thousands of businesses and millions of other New Yorkers whom they work with and help every day.”

If adopted into law, New York would join Utah and 11 other states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, in allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for a driver’s license.^[2] These states have already seen benefits come out of adopting their own laws. A 2016 Roger Williams University School of Law report found that states that allow undocumented immigrants to apply for a driving document have fewer traffic fatalities on average than states that require either documented legal presence or a Social Security number.^[3]

“Keeping New Yorkers safe always comes first,” Assemblyman Thiele said. “From protecting motorists on the road to helping police officers do their jobs, this legislation does just that. We can’t get sidetracked by fear, rumors or bigotry – we need to focus on the facts, and the facts tell us loud and clear that making sure everyone on the road has a driver’s license makes us all safer. This legislation improves public safety, saves drivers insurance premiums and bolsters the local economy, while providing new revenues to state and local government. It is about sound public policy that benefits everyone.”
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[1] fiscalpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Updated-Dl-2019-report-Press-Release.pdf

[2] nilc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/drivers-license-access-table.pdf

[3] rwu.edu/sites/default/files/downloads/lpi/drivers-license_report-legal.pdf