TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – There’s a new bill making its way through the Florida legislature that could change driver’s licenses and ID cards in the state.
That bill — HB 991 — was filed early last month by state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Ft. Myers), and it would make several changes to the Florida Election Code.
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More specifically, the legislation implements the following revisions:
- Voter Oath: Voter registration applicants must affirm that they are U.S. citizens and may face criminal penalties for perjury if that is not the case
- Federal Courts: Requires the state to provide voter registration lists to federal courts to aid in their jury selection process, and requires those courts to provide the state with information about voters being ineligible due to convictions, death, or being a non-U.S. citizen
- Statute of Limitations: Creates a five-year statute of limitations for the prosecution of a felony under the Election Code
- New Penalties: Provides new fines and penalties for those who violate the law of involvement of foreign nationals in state elections
- Early Voting: Election supervisors must use local time when uploading the results of all early voting and vote-by-mail ballots by 7 p.m. the day before the election
However, another provision in the bill requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) to include whether a person is a U.S. citizen on his/her driver’s license and Florida ID card.
“The bill requires that DHSMV must, at no charge, issue a new or replacement card if a licensee or cardholder timely updates his or her legal status upon becoming a citizen of the U.S.,” the legislative analysis reads.
Under HB 991, this change is set to kick in on July 1, and it applies to new issuances and renewals.
HB 991 passed its first committee hearing last week, meaning it has only one more to get through before it can go to a full House vote.
If the bill is approved by lawmakers and signed by the governor, it is slated to take effect in full on Jan. 1, 2027.