Legislation allowing Ohio to issue “enhanced” driver’s licenses and identification cards sailed through a House committee on Tuesday afternoon.
Following the 10-1 vote, the bill’s sponsor said he hopes to see a full House vote on the measure before the legislature departs next month for summer break.
Supporters say the enhanced licenses, which include a radio chip and barcode, would allow truckers and tourists to quickly cross into Canada and Mexico without needing a passport or other paperwork.
The chip allows customs officials at most border crossings to access drivers’ personal data and verify their citizenship even when their vehicle is as far as 30 feet away, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Some civil liberties advocates, however, worry that the government could use the licenses to track people’s locations. Another concern is that Ohioans’ personal information being transmitted by the license could be picked up by criminals.
The licenses, which would be offered voluntarily, would cost about $50 – roughly twice the cost of a normal driver’s license.
House Transportation, Public Safety, and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rex Damschroder, the sponsor of House Bill 346, said enhanced licenses have proved popular in the five states that already issue them. Ohioans who fear an enhanced license will intrude on their privacy, he said, should simply not get one.
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