| Chapter 031 |
| 2023 -- H 5780 Enacted 05/23/2023 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES -- DRIVER PRIVILEGE CARDS AND PERMITS |
Introduced By: Representatives Alzate, Diaz, Giraldo, Batista, Biah, Henries, Felix, Morales, Abney, and Hull |
| Date Introduced: February 22, 2023 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 31-10.4-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10.4 entitled "Driver |
| Privilege Cards and Permits [Effective July 1, 2023.]" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 31-10.4-2. Issuance of driver privilege cards and permits. [Effective July 1, 2023.] |
| (a) Driver privilege cards and permits shall confer the same privileges and shall be subject |
| to the same provisions of this title as driver’s licenses and permits issued under chapter 10 of this |
| title, unless otherwise provided, and shall be subject to the following conditions and exceptions: |
| (1) The front and back of a driver privilege card or permit shall be identical in appearance |
| to a driver’s license or permit, that is not a REAL ID credential; |
| (2) An applicant for a driver privilege card or permit shall not be required to present proof |
| of legal presence in the United States or proof of a social security number, if the individual does |
| not have one; |
| (3) A driver privilege card or permit shall expire on the applicant’s second birthday |
| following the date of its issuance; |
| (4) The fee for an original driver privilege card shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) twenty-five |
| dollars ($25.00). Every driver privilege card renewal issued after expiration of the original driver |
| privilege card shall expire on the birthday of the cardholder in the fifth year following the issuance |
| of the driver privilege card, with the exception of any person seventy-five (75) years or older whose |
| driver privilege card shall expire on the birthday of the cardholder in the second year following the |
| issuance of the driver privilege card, and shall be renewable on or before expiration upon |
| application and payment of a fee of thirty dollars ($30.00). No applicant shall be required to provide |
| proof of compliance with § 31-10.4-1(a)(1) through (3) for a reissued, renewed, or duplicate card |
| or permit; and |
| (5) Any information collected pursuant to this section, that is not otherwise collected by |
| the division of motor vehicles or required for the issuance of any other driving credential issued |
| pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and any information regarding restrictions in the division |
| of motor vehicles’ records, related to the issuance of a credential issued pursuant to this section, |
| shall not be considered a public record. The information shall not be released, except upon request |
| by the subject of the information, the parent of a minor who is the subject of the information, the |
| guardian of the subject of the information, or the authorized representative of the subject of the |
| information, or pursuant to a court order. |
| (b) Applicants for a driver privilege card will not be required to comply with successful |
| completion of the written exam required by § 31-10-21 and the road test required by § 31-10-22 if |
| they can provide one of the following: |
| (1) A current valid driver’s license, or one that has expired by less than five (5) years, |
| issued by a state or U.S. territory, whose driving records are accessible through the Problem Driver |
| Pointer System maintained by the National Driver Register; or |
| (2) In the event the driver’s license issued by another state or U.S. territory is not available |
| at the time the application is made, or the driving records of the issuing state or territory are not |
| accessible through the Problem Driver Pointer System maintained by the National Driver Register, |
| a certified driving record issued less than thirty (30) days prior to application will be accepted. |
| (c) Applicants under the age of eighteen (18) shall be required to comply with all of the |
| education and testing requirements, set forth in §§ 31-10-19 through 31-10-22, and all of the |
| provisions of the graduated licenses statutes, set forth in §§ 31-10-6 through 31-10-6.5. |
| (d) Applicants eighteen (18) years of age and older, who do not meet the driving experience |
| requirement in this chapter, shall be required to comply with all testing requirements set forth in §§ |
| 31-10-21 through 31-10-22. |
| (e) Unless they are in conflict with the provisions of this chapter or the context in which |
| they are used clearly requires a different meaning or a different definition as prescribed for a |
| particular section, group of sections, or provision, for purposes of this title, chapter 11.1 of title 15, |
| chapter 12 of title 24, and chapter 18.1 of title 39, the terms “license” and “operator’s license” shall |
| include the “driver privilege card”, and “permit” shall include “driver privilege permit” as defined |
| by this section, and all examinations, education requirements, residency requirements, penalties, |
| fees, and all other provisions for a license, operator’s license, or permit shall also apply to the driver |
| privilege card and driver privilege permit. |
| (f) The driver privilege card and the driver privilege permit shall not be a valid form of |
| identification for official federal purposes or state voting purposes. |
| (g) The applicant for a driver privilege card or the driver privilege permit shall be required |
| to comply with all other applicable Rhode Island laws, rules, and regulations. |
| (h) A driver privilege card or a driver privilege permit shall not be used as evidence of the |
| holder’s citizenship or immigration status, and shall not be used as a basis for a criminal |
| investigation, arrest, or detention in circumstances where a person with a regular driver’s license |
| would not be criminally investigated, arrested, or detained. Any person aggrieved by a violation of |
| this subsection may seek appropriate declaratory and/or injunctive relief and may be awarded |
| damages and costs, including attorneys’ fees. |
| (i) It shall be a violation of chapter 112 of title 42 to discriminate against an individual |
| solely on the ground that they hold or present a driver privilege card or driver privilege permit, |
| issued under this section. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2023. |
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