A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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 is called the Red Light Act. It aims to withhold federal highway funds from states that give driver's licenses or identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States. Starting on October 1, 2026, the Secretary of Transportation must withhold 100 percent of certain apportioned funds from any noncompliant state. If a state stops being noncompliant before the end of the fiscal year, the withheld funds will be released to them. Otherwise, those withheld funds will be redistributed to states that are not noncompliant.
Yes
- Scored +3
Does this tighten control of the border?
The bill penalizes states that provide driver's licenses to unauthorized immigrants, thereby discouraging policies favorable to undocumented individuals.
The opposite· 3 of 5
- Scored -7
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill targets immigrants unlawfully present in the United States by penalizing states that provide them with driver's licenses or identification cards.
- Scored -6
Does this repair or build roads and bridges?
The bill withholds 100 percent of federal highway funding from states that issue driver's licenses to unauthorized immigrants, severely reducing money for transportation projects in those states.
- Scored -5
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The legislation penalizes states for exercising their authority to issue driver's licenses according to their own state laws and policies.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- States that do not provide driver's licenses or identification cards to unlawfully present aliens could receive a redistribution of withheld funds from noncompliant states, as outlined in Section 2 adding Section 180(d). This means compliant states might get extra money for their federal highway funding apportionments.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- States that have a law or policy allowing them to provide driver's licenses or identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States will have 100 percent of their federal highway funds withheld under Section 2 adding Section 180(b). This could lead to a severe lack of money for important highway and transportation projects in those states.
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 targets immigrants unlawfully present in the United States by penalizing states that provide them with driver's licenses or identification cards. Would people in cities be better off under this? — States with large urban areas that provide driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants could lose vital federal highway funds, impacting local transportation.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this repair or build roads and bridges? — The bill withholds 100 percent of federal highway funding from states that issue driver's licenses to unauthorized immigrants, severely reducing money for transportation projects in those states.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The legislation penalizes states for exercising their authority to issue driver's licenses according to their own state laws and policies.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this tighten control of the border? — The bill penalizes states that provide driver's licenses to unauthorized immigrants, thereby discouraging policies favorable to undocumented individuals. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — By penalizing states that issue identification to undocumented immigrants, the bill creates further obstacles for immigrants living in the United States.
- 9/16/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Bernie MorenoRepublican · Ohio