A continuation of an email from State Rep. Mike Tryon:

Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Goes to the Governor

Probably the most significant vote taken during the lame duck session was also the most controversial. In a 65-46 vote on Jan. 8, members of the House approved a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants in Illinois to obtain drivers licenses. The Illinois Senate had approved the measure with very little opposition back in May.

The bill allows the Secretary of State the authority to issue a “Temporary Visitor’s Drivers License” (TVDL) to undocumented immigrants who meet the following criteria:

• Have lived in Illinois for at least one year
• Are ineligible to obtain a social security number
• Are unable to present documentation issued by the federal government authorizing the person’s presence in this country

The bill also requires that applicants submit a valid unexpired passport from the country of citizenship or a valid unexpired consular identification document, and that all applicants for TVDLs show proof of car insurance.

The license will be invalidated if a holder is pulled over and cannot produce proof of insurance for the vehicle being driven.

The TVDLs will be valid for three years, at which time the applicants may reapply for a temporary license.

The bill stipulates that the TVDL may not be used as a valid form of identification for any other purpose other than for driving a vehicle. Applicants would pay $30 for the TVDL.

Advocates of SB 957 claim the legislation will provide many benefits, including:

• an increase in the number of insured drivers on the road,
• a potential revenue stream from the application fees,
• an increase in economic participation by undocumented immigrants, and
• improved safety on the roads since the TVDL holders would have to pass a driving test.

Of course, the main objection to the bill was that undocumented immigrants are in this country illegally and should not be given privileges afforded to lawful Illinoisans.

Another argument against the bill was that it would invite fraud. Many who opposed the bill or were hesitant to support it also said they would have liked to have seen a fingerprinting requirement as part of the legislation.

The fiscal impact of the bill is estimated to be $800,000 for the initial startup, and annual costs of about $250,000 after that.

The Secretary of State said he believes that if 30,000 undocumented immigrants apply for TVDLs, the costs will be covered by the fees.

With the approval of SB 957, Illinois joins Utah, New Mexico and Washington as the only states that issue drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants.

Medicaid Expansion Bill Stumbles

This bill was passed out of committee, but not taken to a vote on the House floor.

The bill would have expanded Medicaid benefits to additional Illinoisans as part of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare.

It is important to remember that last year Illinois lawmakers extended a moratorium on any Medicaid expansion through 2015.

The provisions of HB 6253 were in direct conflict with that moratorium, so the bill also included language to nullify that moratorium for this new classification of participants.

The United States Supreme Court ruled in July of 2012 that states have the right to opt out of the Medicaid expansion provision of the ACA.

HB 6253 called for extending Medicaid benefits under the State’s medical assistance program to people between 19-65 who are not otherwise eligible for Medicaid, and who have an income level at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, plus 5% for the applicable family size.

For a family of two, the income threshold would be $20,123 and for a family of four, the threshold for participation would be $30,657. A family of six would have a threshold of $41,190.

Benefits would have been provided to this new classification of Medicaid recipients through the federal Health Benefits Service Package, through which States can receive matching funds to cover adults in the program.

Illinois would receive 100% matching for the first three years of the plan, at which time the match would begin to decrease down to 90% in the year 2020.

President Obama has already proposed shifting a greater share of the costs for the Medicaid expansion onto the states as a part of the federal FY 2013 budget.

The fiscal impact of this bill would have been significant over time.

The Illinois Department of Health and Family Services estimated that in 2017, when the federal match for the new group dropped to 95%, the State’s costs would have been approximately $119 million.

By 2020, when the match level was reduced to 90%, the State’s share would be about $238 million.

The most recent federal proposal would have replaced the various matching rates with a single “blended rate” for each state. A state’s blended rate would be set at a level that is less than the amount of federal funding in the current law.

If enacted in Illinois, there could be an increase of 500,000 enrollees into the State’s Medicaid program, though some of those individuals most likely would have qualified under today’s rules.

It is likely that legislators will see a similar bill in the 98th General Assembly.

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More tomorrow.