Driving Change: Updates from Virginia's 2020 General Assembly Session

 ReEstablish Richmond intern Austin Walker wrote this blogpost.

Virginia’s 2020 General Assembly session brought several exciting victories for immigrants’ rights in the Commonwealth.  

The changes to in-state tuition eligibility and driving privileges are both a step in the right direction towards ReEstablish Richmond’s vision of a community where all are united for the welcome and well-being of newcomers.  

One of those victories is House Bill 1547, which Del. Alfonso H. Lopez (D-Arlington) introduced into the House of Delegates for the ninth consecutive year. Del. Lopez’s bill would protect the right of students with undocumented immigration status to receive in-state tuition fees at any public college or university in Virginia. Under the new provisions, students will qualify for in-state tuition so long as they attended high school for at least two years in the Commonwealth, graduated from a high school program on or after July 1, 2008, and register as an entering student or are enrolled in a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.  

Hundreds of members of Virginia’s immigrant community, students, and activists came out during the session to rally in support of Del. Lopez’s bill. The legislation has now passed both houses and is awaiting a signature from Governor Northam, which is likely to happen in early April. After nine years, Del. Lopez’s persistence and determination have finally paid off. 

Relatedly, Del. Kathy K.L. Tran (D-Springfield) introduced House Bill 1211 with the intent of securing driving privileges for immigrants without permanent legal residence. Del. Tran’s bill establishes a unique type of driver privilege card which can be obtained without proof of citizenship or legal presence. Under the new rules, applicants need only demonstrate that they have reported income and filed taxes in Virginia or been claimed as a dependent by someone who reported income and filed taxes in Virginia.  

The governor’s administration predicts that nearly 300,000 immigrants will be impacted by the passage of House Bill 1211. More broadly, supporters of Del. Tran’s bill hope that Virginia’s roads will be safer for everyone if all drivers have the same opportunity to acquire insurance and pass the Department of Motor Vehicle’s safety tests. 

“The transformation that is happening is incredible,” said Luis A. Aguilar, the Virginia director of the CASA immigrant advocacy group.  

Indeed, it is exciting that advocacy at the state legislature will have a tangible impact on the lives of many of our newest neighbors. The changes to in-state tuition eligibility and driving privileges are both a step in the right direction towards ReEstablish Richmond’s vision of a community where all are united for the welcome and well-being of newcomers.