Grassley, Bipartisan Colleagues Target Debt-Based Driver’s License Suspensions

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) in reintroducing the Driving for Opportunity Act. The bipartisan legislation would encourage states to stop debt-based driver’s license suspensions.

“If the government wants people to pay fines, then the government shouldn’t prevent them from getting to work. Our bill resets the incentives to stop the circular problem of states suspending licenses for anyone who owes fines or fees. This is especially important in rural states like Iowa, where travel by car is even more necessary,” Grassley said. 

“A driver’s license doesn’t just help you move from one place to another – it means access to their jobs, their livelihoods, and their communities for millions of Americans,” Coons said. “Debt-based driver’s license suspensions not only severely restrict Americans’ mobility, they also make it nearly impossible for citizens to hold down a job and therefore pay back their debts. My bipartisan Driving for Opportunity Act would stop the disproportionate targeting of underserved populations, end the counterproductive policy that burdens our law enforcement, and break this vicious cycle of debt.”

“Suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid fines and fees is counterproductive,” Wicker said. “Americans need access to vehicles to work and to care for their families. My home state of Mississippi rightly banned this practice in 2018. This legislation would encourage other states to follow our lead.”

Millions of Americans have their driver’s licenses suspended simply because they cannot pay fines or fees. However, without the ability to drive to work, it’s difficult for these individuals to pay off their debts – especially if they live in areas with little or no access to public transportation. Debt-based suspensions also burden police with added enforcement responsibilities and divert resources from public safety initiatives.

The Driving for Opportunity Act would authorize grants for states that reinstate driver’s licenses suspended due to unpaid civil or criminal fines or fees. Acceptable award uses include:

• Covering the costs of driver’s license reinstatement programs;
• Creating programs to maximize the number of individuals who regain driving privileges; and
• Assisting people living in areas where public transportation is limited.

Grassley, Coons and Wicker are joined by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).

 

Bill text is available HERE.