Newly Introduced Legislation Will Help Protect Privacy and Expand Access to Drivers License

The legislation A4743/S3229 will create two license options, the REAL ID Act purpose driver’s license option and a standard driver’s license option, that will allow all qualified residents to access drivers licenses

Trenton–December 3rd– Leadership from diverse advocacy organization concerned about the thousands of residents with limited mobility due to lack of access to drivers licenses in New Jersey gathered in Trenton to support new legislation that will expand access to more residents. Last week, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-20) introduced bill A4743 in the Assembly and Senator Joseph Vitale (D-19) introduced bill S3229 in the Senate which addresses the looming issue of REAL ID Act implementation in New Jersey with the creation of two options for drivers licenses. As New Jersey gets ready to roll out the REAL ID Act by October 2019, the speakers addressed how many residents could be left out due to the higher requirements imposed by the federal legislation.

The main concern with REAL ID Act implementation is its potential to leave out many residents who may not be able to access a driver’s license and residents who may not want their privacy infringed upon by the REAL ID Act’s requirement for personal documents to be scanned and stored in an MVC database. The standard default license option will allow residents who could be left out by REAL ID Act implementation to continue contributing to the economy and providing for their families and households.

Advocates thanked prime sponsors of the bill and urged other legislators to sign on as sponsors.

The primary sponsors of the Assembly bill A4743 include: Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Assemblyman Joe Danielsen and the primary sponsors of the Senate bill S3229 include Senator Joseph Vitale, Senator Joseph Cryan, Senator Teresa Ruiz, Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, and Senator Nellie Pou.

“LGBT people are represented are especially vulnerable to being unjustly left out with REAL ID implementation. Transgender people often do not have access to necessary documents that reflect our gender identity. Those documents are crucial for us to be able to participate fully in our communities,” said Aaron Potenza, Policy Director, Garden State Equality. All qualified residents deserve access to driver’s licenses, and this bill will ensure that many New Jerseyans who have been unjustly left out.”

“For survivors of domestic violence in particular, access to a driver’s license is an essential tool in the very difficult process of establishing independence from one’s abuser and providing for one’s children. They can reach the care and services they need in order to heal and rebuild their lives. Moms need transportation to do their family grocery shopping and to shuttle their children to activities or medical care. NOW-NJ supports A4347/S3229 to ensure all women are able to have the mobility they need with access to a standard driver’s license,” said Deb Huber, Acting President of NOW-NJ.

Our Sacred Scriptures challenges us to treat every person who live among us as equals, and to love them in the same way we love ourselves (Leviticus 19:33-34),” said Reverend Sammy Arroyo, Salvation and Social Justice. “Bills A4743/S3229 will help our most marginalized community members to participate fully in our civil life. We call on our State leaders to pass this sensible and fair law.”

The Let’s Drive NJ Campaign is supported by a diverse array of faith, labor and community organizations from across the state. More information about the campaign can be found at LetsDriveNJ.org.

Let’s Drive NJ Partnering Organizations include:

1199SEIU

32BJ SEIU

American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey

American Friends Service Committee

Angel for Action Inc.

Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey

Bangladeshi American Women’s Development Initiative (BAWDI)

Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Blue Wave NJ

CAIR New Jersey – Council on American-Islamic Relations

Camden Coalition

Casa Freehold

Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen

Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark

Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War

Central Jersey Democratic Socialists

Central Unitarian Church of Paramus – Social Action Committee

Centro Comunitario CEUS

Community of Friends in Action

Drug Policy Alliance

El Centro Hispanoamericano

Fair & Welcoming Coalition of Mercer County

Fair and Welcoming Communities Coalition of Somerset County

Faith in New Jersey

First Friends NJ & NY

Force the Issue NJ

FWD.us

Garden State Equality

Glen Rock People Power

Greater Red Bank Women’s Initiative

Haiti Solidarity Network of the North East

Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey

Hudson Civic Action

Ironbound Community Corp.

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Latin American Legal Defense & Education Fund (LALDEF)

Latino Action Network

Laundry, Distribution & Food Service Joint Board, Workers United/SEIU

Long Valley Indivisible

Make the Road New Jersey

Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

NAACP New Jersey State Conference

National Council of Jewish Women, West Morris Section

National Organization of Women (NOW) – NJ

New Jersey Citizen Action

New Jersey Communities United

New Jersey Institute of Social Justice

New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association (NJMLA)

New Jersey Policy Perspective

New Jersey Tenants Organization

New Jersey Working Families

New Labor

NJ-08 for Progress

Not in Our Town Princeton (NiOT)

OASIS

Partners for Women and Justice

People Power Somerset NJ

Reform Jewish Voice of New Jersey

RU Dreamers

Salvation and Social Justice

SOMA Action

South Jersey Women for Progressive Change

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, Inc.

Temple Ner Tamid

The Farmworker Support Committee (CATA)

The Meta Theatre Company

The Social Responsibilities Council of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood

Union County Young Democrats

Unitarian Society of Ridgewood

United Steelworkers 4

UU Faith Action NJ

Veteran’s for American Ideals

Wind of the Spirit

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