John Barrasso (R-WY)
No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 4 Republican cosponsors · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1822-1823; text: CR S1823-1824)
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act of 2026," aims to amend title 23 of the United States Code. It requires States to implement and enforce laws that verify the legal status of individuals applying for driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, or personal identification cards. To ensure compliance, the Secretary of Transportation will withhold 10 percent of certain Federal highway funds from any State that fails to meet these requirements. These withheld funds will be redistributed to States that are in compliance. The bill establishes specific methods for verifying identity and lawful presence through electronic, background, and security checks.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill expands federal authority by allowing the Secretary of Transportation to withhold funds from states to enforce federal verification standards.
- Scored +2
Does this tighten control of the border?
The bill strengthens immigration-related controls by requiring verification of lawful presence for state identification.
The opposite· 3 of 6
- Scored -5
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill imposes much more stringent and invasive verification processes for immigrants seeking identification.
- Scored -3
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?
The bill's focus on verifying legal status through background and security checks may negatively impact the Hispanic community.
- Scored -2
Does this repair or build roads and bridges?
The bill threatens to withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds from non-compliant states, which could reduce funding for roads and bridges.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Preserving Integrity of Identification: The bill seeks to preserve the integrity of State-issued driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, and personal identification cards (Section 2(a)).
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Financial Redistribution to Compliant States: States that follow the new verification laws can receive funds that were withheld from non-compliant States (Section 2(b)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Withholding of Federal Highway Funds: States that do not have and enforce a law requiring and verifying evidence of lawful presence for license and ID applicants will have 10 percent of certain Federal highway funds withheld (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Strict Verification Requirements for Applicants: Applicants for driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, or personal identification cards must undergo a process that includes electronic validation of biographic and biometric information, such as name, photograph, and fingerprints (Section 2(e)(2)(A)).
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Mandatory Background and Security Checks: Applicants will be subject to background and security checks, which include fingerprint checks by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Section 2(e)(2)(B)).
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Verification of Identity Documents: Applicants must have their evidence of lawful presence verified by confirming their social security number or individual taxpayer identification number with the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, or the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program (Section 2(e)(2)(C)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill imposes much more stringent and invasive verification processes for immigrants seeking identification. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill's focus on verifying legal status through background and security checks may negatively impact the Hispanic community. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Increased scrutiny on identification may disproportionately affect low-income individuals who may have more difficulty meeting strict verification requirements.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal authority by allowing the Secretary of Transportation to withhold funds from states to enforce federal verification standards.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this repair or build roads and bridges? — The bill threatens to withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds from non-compliant states, which could reduce funding for roads and bridges.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill redistributes existing federal highway funds rather than creating new spending or cutting overall federal expenditure.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this tighten control of the border? — The bill strengthens immigration-related controls by requiring verification of lawful presence for state identification. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill increases the scrutiny and verification requirements for non-citizens seeking state identification.
- 8/5/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/16/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1822-1823; text: CR S1823-1824)
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
John CornynRepublican · Texas
Cynthia LummisRepublican · Wyoming
David McCormickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Tim ScottRepublican · South Carolina