Assembly Democrats Annette Quijano (D-Union), Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson), Gary Schaer (D-Bergen, Passaic), Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) and Joe Danielsen (D-Middlesex, Somerset) issued the following joint statement after final legislative passage of their bill (A-4743) to expand access to driver’s licenses for New Jersey residents:
“This legislation from the very beginning has been a complicated work in progress with many moving parts. Ensuring all eligible New Jersey residents have access to greater independence with a driver’s license or identification card in the wake of Real IDs also posing affordability and access concerns required a keen attention to detail. The main purposes of the legislation was to ensure safer roads and more insured drivers in New Jersey.
“This legislation creates a pathway for a New Jersey resident to acquire a driver’s license, register their vehicle and insure their vehicle thus making for safer roads for all. This bill does not impact any U.S Citizenship requirements.
“We know this legislation will change thousands of lives in the Garden State, a state with both urban, suburban and rural communities that require residents to drive a car to get from point A to point B.
“This bill has always been, first and foremost, about safety. We’re proud to sponsor it and we look forward to it being signed into law.”