Proposed legislation would allow undocumented workers to apply for Maryland driver's licenses. It would prohibit the Motor Vehicle Administration from requiring a driver's license applicant to provide their immigration status or national origin; documents would only need to provide proof of name and age, and certain documents prepared in a foreign country would be acceptable.

Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase is introducing the legislation, House Bill 838, with Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Dist. 27A) of Upper Marlboro. The bill has also received support from several Montgomery County and Prince George's County delegates. The Judiciary Committee is considering modifications to the bill, and a public hearing is scheduled for today.

"The main motivation [for pushing the bill] is that the Maryland regulations are so restrictive that a lot of people here working are not able to get a driver's license," Gutierrez said. "We're trying to have the MVA be less restrictive and accept more documents from immigrants."

Gutierrez said there are 32 states where document requirements for driver's licenses are not as strict. This is not just an issue for undocumented workers, she said. It is also an issue for people documented with a temporary protective status: they are allowed to work but are not U.S. citizens.

However, Virginia's General Assembly recently passed a bill requiring foreign nationals to apply for driver's licenses to prove they are in the United States legally.

Maryland's proposed legislation has received support from several Latino advocacy groups, including Casa of Maryland, an immigrant rights group in Silver Spring. More than 1,000 Latinos have presented legislators with 8,000 signatures supporting the bill, said Casa executive director Gustavo Torres.

"I think it's a very, very important issue for immigrants as well as the state," Torres said.

Currently, many workers drive to jobs without licenses, Torres said. Passing this bill would decrease the number of unlicensed drivers on the roads in Maryland, he said, and also would allow newly licensed drivers to get car insurance.

Many people in the area -- particularly those here illegally -- drive without a license, and therefore without insurance, and this is a concern to MVA and insurance companies, said Lon Anderson, a spokesman for the automobile club AAA-Mid Atlantic. AAA has not yet taken a position on the legislation but plans to do so soon, he said.

However, Anderson said, this legislation could possibly make Maryland roads safer if those who are currently driving illegally "feel comfortable getting their license and get insurance."

However, some lawmakers, including those in Virginia, have argued that relaxing documentation requirements may compromise homeland security.

Gutierrez and Torres maintain that providing more Maryland residents with documentation may help security because more names and addresses will be on file.

"From the law enforcement perspective, it's better to have people identifiable," Gutierrez said.

Maryland State Police will not comment on the bill's ramifications until it is passed, said Sgt. Thornnie Rouse of the Maryland State Police.

Conceptually, the bill is a good idea, said Del. Gareth E. Murray (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring. The bill is not yet in its final form.

"It's an attempt to find a way to provide access to a drivers license so people can get back and forth from work, especially with individuals in construction trades who may not be going to the same place all the time," Murray said.

Several of Murray's constituents may benefit from the bill. Murray represents District 20, which encompasses parts of Silver Spring and Takoma Park.

One of his constituents who is currently unable to apply for a driver's license is involved in asbestos removal, he said, and her brother -- who has a driver's license -- would drive her to work but he has left the area, Murray said. She must use public transportation.

"This means a lot to our district because of the diverse population we serve," Murray said. "It's our responsibility to make sure people have what they need."

However, Gutierrez said, "this is a statewide issue, not just a Montgomery County and Prince George's County issue."

The driver's license bill was one of three issues brought to the table on Feb. 24, when hundreds of Maryland's Latino residents rallied in Annapolis and lobbied their representatives at an event organized by the Maryland Coalition of Latinos For Justice.

Maryland's Latinos also are pushing for health care for all and allowing undocumented workers in-state tuition at Maryland universities, said Torres, a Latino coalition board member..