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Ref to the Com on Transportation, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2025-03-12

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill requires North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles to provide driver license handbooks and written tests in Khmer and in any language spoken as a primary language by at least 2% of the state's population. The change takes effect January 1, 2026.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this increases access to driver licensing for non-English speakers, helping them safely learn traffic laws and rules of the road in their native language.
• •They contend this improves road safety for all drivers and helps non-English-speaking residents participate more fully in civic life by obtaining required identification.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents raise concerns about implementation costs for translating and administering tests in multiple languages, as well as questions about whether the 2% threshold is practical and how the state would determine which languages qualify.
• •Some argue this could set a precedent for expanding multilingual services across other state agencies.