2018 -- H 7982

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LC005297

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - OPERATORS' AND CHAUFFEURS'

LICENSES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Maldonado, Corvese, Diaz, Filippi, and McNamara

     Date Introduced: March 22, 2018

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Legislative findings – The general assembly hereby finds and declares as

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follows:

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     (1) Latinx Rhode Islanders are the fastest-growing demographic in the state and currently

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make up approximately twenty percent (20%) of Rhode Island's population.

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     (2) In 2012, President Obama implemented Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,

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commonly referred to as “DACA,” which allowed young immigrants who entered the United

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States as children, through no choice of their own, the opportunity to receive a renewable two-

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year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.

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     (3) DACA youth are important members of Rhode Island communities and call Rhode

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Island home. They have grown up in Rhode Island and most have no meaningful connection to

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any place but Rhode Island, as their home.

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     (4) DACA youth are a vital part of Rhode Island's schools, institutions of higher learning,

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and workforce.

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     (5) Recent executive action by the President of the United States has endangered the

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future of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, putting the future

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of Rhode Island's DACA recipients at risk.

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     (6) It is in the interest of Rhode Island communities to support Rhode Island's DACA

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recipients and provide measures to enable their continued education and engagement in the

 

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workforce.

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     (7) DACA recipients make real and meaningful contributions to the nation's economy

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and account for approximately forty-two billion dollars ($42,000,000,000) in annual GDP. More

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than ninety percent (90%) of DACA recipients age sixteen (16) years and above were employed

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in 2015, earned nineteen billion nine hundred million dollars ($19,900,000,000) in income and

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contributed roughly three billion dollars ($3,000,000,000) in taxes in that year alone.

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     (8) Studies show that DACA recipients form businesses at higher rates than similarly

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aged United States born workers and almost thirty-eight thousand (38,000) DACA recipients

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nationwide were working as self-employed entrepreneurs in 2015 alone.

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     (9) Forty-five percent (45%) of all DACA recipients are participating in education and

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are a key part of our future. Of those who are in school seventy-two percent (72%) are pursuing a

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bachelor's degree or higher.

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     SECTION 2. Section 31-10-26 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10 entitled "Operators'

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and Chauffeurs' Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     31-10-26. Issuance of license.

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     (a) The division of motor vehicles shall, upon payment of the required fee, issue to every

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qualifying applicant an operator's or chauffeur's license. The license shall be approximately two

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and one-half inches (2 1/2") wide and three and one-half inches (3 1/2") long and shall bear on it

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a distinguishing number assigned to the licensee, the full name, date of birth, residence address,

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brief description of the licensee, a photograph of the licensee, whether the licensee has indicated a

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desire to donate tissue or organs pursuant to the provisions of chapter 18.6 of title 23, and either a

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space upon which the licensee shall write his or her usual signature with pen and ink or a

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facsimile of the signature of the licensee. No license shall be valid until it has been so signed by

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the licensee designated on it. A negative file of all photographs of licensees shall be maintained

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by the division of motor vehicles for a period of five (5) years.

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     (b) The division of motor vehicles shall issue an operator's or chauffeur's license pursuant

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to this chapter to every qualifying applicant, including, but not limited to, any current or past

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recipient of a grant of deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

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program, provided any applicant subject to the DACA program shall provide evidence of having

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received said grant from the United Sates Citizen and Immigration Services.

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     (b)(c) The division of motor vehicles shall issue special licenses to those licensees who

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have indicated that they desire to donate tissue or organs, which conform to the provisions of the

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Rhode Island Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6 of title 23.

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     (c)(d) Any person who is a law enforcement officer, meaning any permanently employed

 

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member of the state, city, or town police departments, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, members of

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the marshal's unit, capitol police, and the state fire marshal and deputy fire marshals of the

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division of fire safety or a member of the department of attorney general, any permanently

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employed federal law enforcement officer assigned in Rhode Island, or any member of the United

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States Attorney's Office in Rhode Island or any employee of the R.I. department of corrections, as

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recommended by the director of the department of corrections, upon request of the applicant,

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shall be issued a license which contains the applicant's official business address in lieu of a

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residence address as required under the general provisions of this section.

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     (d)(e) The license issued to a person applying for the first time shall be designated as a

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"first license". A first license shall be issued for a one year period after which time a permanent

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driver's license shall be issued according to this section.

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     (e)(f) If an applicant has been adjudicated for committing one moving motor vehicle

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violation, has been involved in one reportable motor vehicle accident, or both, he or she shall be

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summoned for a hearing before a judge of the traffic tribunal at which time the driving record will

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be reviewed. The traffic tribunal judge shall determine if the person should be granted an

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operator's license, be reissued a first license, or be denied a license to operate a motor vehicle in

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the state of Rhode Island.

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     (f)(g) Any person who is under the age of twenty-one (21) years shall, upon payment of

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the required fee and upon meeting the qualifications for the receipt of an operator's or chauffeur's

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license, be issued a license which shall be readily distinguishable in color from those licenses

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issued to persons who are twenty-one (21) years of age or older. When a person under the age of

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twenty-one (21) years to whom a license has been issued and whose license is in full force and

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effect, attains his or her twenty-first birthday, he or she shall be entitled to receive a new license

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of the type issued to persons who are older than the age of twenty-one (21) years from the

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administrator of the division of motor vehicles upon demand at no expense. Every person shall

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supply to the division of motor vehicles satisfactory proof of his or her date of birth.

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     (g)(h) The division of motor vehicles shall issue special licenses upon the request of a

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licensee which conform to the provisions of the Rhode Island Anatomical Gift Act, chapter 18.6

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of title 23.

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     (h)(i) The division of motor vehicles shall note in an appropriate manner a restriction on

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any person's license who is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle that is not equipped with an

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ignition interlock system as provided in chapter 27 of this title.

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     (i)(j) Any personal digitized information contained within an operator's or chauffeur's

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license shall be limited to: (a) the licensee's name, age, date of birth, address, gender, physical

 

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description such as weight, height, hair color and eye color, signature and organ donor status; and

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(b) the license number, commercial endorsements, expiration date, issue date, restriction and

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class.

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     (j)(k) Except to the extent an entity is authorized to renew drivers' licenses, or except for

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financial institutions engaged in the verification of information for financial transactions,

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nongovernmental entities shall not have access to any digitized information contained in an

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operator or chauffeur's license other than the licensee's name, age, date of birth, signature, and

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photographic image, and the license's expiration date; nor shall they store, record or retain any

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such information obtained through a digital reading device. Access to digitized information by

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such entities shall be solely for the purpose of determining the age of an individual for a

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transaction, right or privilege available by law only to persons of a certain age.

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     (k)(l) To the extent that nongovernmental entities shall have access to the digitized

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information stored on an operator's or chauffeur's license, the entity shall be civilly liable for the

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unauthorized access to, or retention or use of, such information by its agents or persons acting in

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the name of the entity.

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     (l)(m) The division of motor vehicles shall collect from applicants and licensees their

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social security numbers and tax identification numbers only to the extent required by federal law.

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Such numbers shall not be included, either digitally or visually, on the operator's or chauffeur's

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license.

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     (n) Issuance of a Rhode Island operator's license under this chapter shall not confer the

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right to vote in the state of Rhode Island.

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     SECTION 3. Chapter 28-14 of the General Laws entitled "Payment of Wages" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     28-14-32. Limited Rhode Island work authorization.

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     (a) The director of the department of labor and training, or a designee thereof, may issue

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to a current or past recipient of a grant of deferred action under the Deferred Action for

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Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program a special limited permit to work.

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     (b) To be eligible for the special limited work permit an individual must present:

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     (1) Documentation issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

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verifying that the individual has received a grant of deferred action under the DACA program;

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and

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     (2) Proof of Rhode Island residence.

 

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     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on December 3, 2018.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - OPERATORS' AND CHAUFFEURS'

LICENSES

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     This act would continue the status quo relating to operator's and chauffeur's licenses and

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limited work authorization to approved recipients under the Deferred Action of Childhood

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Arrivals (DACA) program. This act would also provide that the issuance of a Rhode Island

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operator's license shall not confer the right to vote in the state of Rhode Island.

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     This act would take effect on December 3, 2018.

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