Courtesy of the Mississippi Driver Service Bureau
- “It’s all common sense,” State Senator Angela Hill said.
Lawmakers sent a bill to Governor Tate Reeves (R) that requires driver’s licenses to depict a person’s biological sex at birth.
State Senator Angela Hill (R) authored the legislation. She told Magnolia Tribune on Monday that those who have changed their licenses must be corrected.
SB 2322 outlines that any new, renewal or duplicate driver’s license, temporary driving permit or commercial driver’s license issued to a person is to bear a designation of the sex of the individual which is to be consistent with the sex of the individual determined at birth.
“No change may be made to this designation, except for a correction of a scrivener’s error, a correction in the case of a misidentification of the individual’s sex at birth due to a verifiable disorder of a sex development condition, or a correction of a license that has previously been voluntarily altered to record a sex other than the sex of the person as previously recorded at birth,” the measure states.
The legislation also requires immigrants to prove they are in the U.S. legally. The license of such persons is to include a number and/or other identifying features, including a designation that the person is not a United States citizen. The license is to expire on the date that person is no longer lawfully present in the United States.
Provisions to address illegal immigrant drivers
In addition, a driver’s license issued by another state to a person unable to prove lawful presence in the U.S. when the license or permit is issued will be invalid in Mississippi and does not authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle in this state.
“Such licenses include classes of licenses issued to persons unable to prove lawful presence in the United States or licenses that are substantially the same as licenses issued to citizens, residents, or those lawfully present in the United States but have markings establishing that the license holder did not exercise the option of providing proof of lawful presence,” the legislation reads.
Senator Hill said law enforcement, judges or license examiners who encounter illegal persons during an appearance or through a traffic stop will contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and refer the person to the agency.
Hill noted that the law seeks to codify what the Mississippi Department of Public Safety has been doing this year in their efforts to remove illegal drivers from the state’s roadways. She said some 400 interactions has resulted from the DPS initiatives.
“It’s all common sense,” Hill said. “Too many people who can’t speak English or read road signs have caused death and injury on the highways across the country, even in Mississippi. We want out Mississippi roads to be safe.”
Passage of the measure
SB 2322 passed the Mississippi Legislature mostly down party lines, with Republicans backing the bill and Democrats voting in opposition.
In the Senate, the conference report for Hill’s bill was approved by a vote of 29 to 16.
As for the House, the conference report passed by a vote of 76 to 38.
