Yesterday, State Senator Ed Kennedy joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Senate in passing An Act Relative to Work and Family Mobility. This important piece of legislation allows Massachusetts residents who lack federal immigration status to apply for a Massachusetts standard driver’s license, which does not include a REAL ID.
The bill has received widespread support from members of the law enforcement community, advocacy groups, and members of the immigrant community. It proposes strict identity documentation criteria, asking for applicants to present two valid, unexpired identity documents. It makes no change to existing law requiring that all driver’s license applicants prove that they live in the Commonwealth. The bill passed by the Senate is nearly identical to the version that previously passed the House of Representatives earlier this year.
A version of this legislation having previously passed in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the legislation moves back to the House for further consideration.