Refugees

I have long been an advocate for refugees, individuals who have had to flee their home countries because of violence, persecution, or political conflict. Utah has for many years and still continues to support refugees by providing housing, job training, and English language training. The goal is to help them achieve economic independence. One of the important ways to do this is to allow them to drive legally. The stumbling block has been refugees’ inability to pass the written driver’s license exam because it was only administered in English. In the 2018 Legislative Session, I passed HB 189 to allow refugees to take their written driver’s license exam in their native language. This included the first time taking the exam and for the first renewal.

In 2022, I passed HB 163 to help individuals fleeing Afghanistan who had not yet been granted asylee or refugee status, which can take several years. The bill allowed a humanitarian parolee the same testing procedures provided to asylees and refugees, namely, that they can take the written drivers license test in their native language.