[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2356 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2356

To enhance national security by restricting access of illegal aliens to 
      driver's licenses and State-issued identification documents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 14, 2007

  Mr. Coleman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To enhance national security by restricting access of illegal aliens to 
      driver's licenses and State-issued identification documents.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Prevention of Unsafe Licensing 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The ability of illegal aliens and terrorists to acquire 
        driver's licenses or identification cards poses a threat to 
        national security.
            (2) Issuing driver's licenses or other forms of 
        documentation to individuals who are illegally present in the 
        United States will enable illegal aliens, and possibly 
        terrorists, to open bank accounts, transfer money out of the 
        country, purchase weapons, and commit voter fraud.
            (3) The 9/11 terrorists acquired dozens of driver's 
        licenses from States with weak licensing laws. The 9/11 
        hijackers also acquired a total of 28 State-issued 
        identification cards or driver's licenses.
            (4) An illegal alien, whose presence in the United States 
        proves blatant disregard of Federal law, should not be rewarded 
        by having his or her presence in the United States supported by 
        receiving legitimate government-issued identification.
            (5) Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 (division B of 
        Public Law 109-13) to enhance security of State-issued driver's 
        licenses and other identification documents to prevent 
        potential terrorists from obtaining identification documents in 
        order to remain and operate in the United States.
            (6) Recent actions by some States have demonstrated a 
        willingness to exploit loopholes in the law to provide driver's 
        licenses to illegal aliens regardless of the security concerns.
            (7) A driver's license is a desired document that enables 
        an individual to travel and live in the United States and may 
        facilitate acquiring other documents and services.
            (8) Illegal aliens may use a driver's license to register 
        and vote in Federal, State, and local elections.
            (9) Allowing illegal immigrants to have access to driver's 
        licenses could hinder an employer's ability to check 
        identification and verify legal status and work authorization.
            (10) Federal courts have repeatedly found that Congress has 
        plenary power to regulate immigration, including conditions on 
        admissibility, presence, and removal of aliens.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON ISSUING DRIVER'S LICENSES TO ILLEGAL ALIENS.

    Section 202 of the REAL ID Act of 2005 (49 U.S.C. 30301 note) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (11); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (12) and (13) as 
                paragraphs (11) and (12), respectively; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Prohibition.--A State is prohibited from issuing a driver's 
license or identification card to any individual unless the State fully 
complies with the requirements under subsection (c)(2)(B).''.
                                 <all>