The Iowa Senate has passed a series of bills aimed at strengthening immigration and citizenship verification requirements for voting, obtaining an Iowa driver’s license and working in Iowa schools or the public sector.
Measures that passed unanimously would require all Iowa schools and the state Board of Educational Examiners to verify that school staff are legally authorized to work in the United States. The same requirement would apply to newly hired employees in state and local government, as well as applicants seeking a professional license issued by the state.
Another bill, which passed with broad bipartisan support, would require the Iowa Department of Transportation to check federal databases to confirm an applicant is a U.S. citizen or legal resident before issuing a driver’s license.
Additional legislation approved by the Senate calls on Iowa’s secretary of state to verify that registered voters are U.S. citizens.
Lawmakers also unanimously passed a bill requiring applicants to pass an English proficiency test before receiving a commercial driver’s license in Iowa.
