During the 2013 legislative session, Nevada lawmakers will consider a bill that grants all residents, regardless of legal status, a driver's card.
If the bill becomes law, undocumented immigrants living in Nevada could legally drive with a state-issued permit. The permit would be different from the standard-issue driver's license that is used as a legal ID.
Nevada Senate majority leader Mo Denis is working on the bill with other state assembly and senate members. Once it's drafted, he will introduce the bill early next year.
Denis says issuing driving permits to undocumented immigrants will make state roadways safer because more drivers will have to pass driving tests and more drivers will be insured.
"The immigration issue is one that needs to be resolved at a federal level, but the safety issue is a problem we have each and every day so we need to address that as a state," Denis said.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles would only issue the driving permit to verified Nevada residents -- as a protection against fraud, he added. If the bill passes, Nevada would have a system very similar to Utah.
