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SALT LAKE CITY — Although it hasn't come across his desk yet, Gov. Spencer Cox said Thursday he "can't wait" to sign a new bill that will offer driver license tests to Utah residents with limited English proficiency.
"We're very excited for this bill. It's something we've worked on and something we supported," he said during his monthly PBS Utah news conference.
The Utah Legislature unanimously passed SB216 in the final days of this year's legislative session. In fact, it was sent to the governor's office for final approval following a 70-0 vote from the Utah House of Representatives on the final day of the session, March 4.
The bill allows applicants for a driver's license with limited English proficiency to take the written portion of the license examination "in certain other languages," which are the five top languages other than English in the state. It instructs the driver license branch of the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles to work with the state's Division of Multicultural Affairs to compile the list on a regular basis.
The Utah Department of Health reported in 2016 that Spanish, Chinese, German and Navajo were the most prominent languages spoken in Utah, aside from English.
So why does the bill matter so much? When Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, first introduced the bill to the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee on Feb. 25, she pointed out that the Governor's Office of Economic Development pinpointed the idea when trying to solve economic disparity issues. It became a top priority for this reason.
She explained that driver's licenses are important for employment but, prior to this year, were only available in English. While the signs on the roads will remain in English, Escamilla said the point of this change is that it's difficult to understand the laws or concept of laws for people struggling to understand the language of the test, too.
"Most people need to drive to work, and we've seen a limitation in people being able to pass the test if English is their second language," she said.
The physical driving component rule won't change under the law. She added the written test seemed to be the larger obstacle because it can be difficult for anyone, regardless of a language barrier.
Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, said she noticed this issue as a teacher. Many students who learn English as a second language would often keep up in conversation but then struggle with the written components of education. That part comes with a more advanced level of learning another language.
"We were seeing the bigger gap (in written tests) — it's a big manual," Escamilla added. "I mean my daughter just passed her test after the second one. ... I didn't realize how many people fail the test the first time."
It's not the only language-related driver license bill that passed this year. HB163, which Cox signed on Feb. 22, allows "humanitarian parolees" to either use an interpreter or receive a translation option when obtaining a driver license. That bill was specifically directed to help the more than 900 Afghan refugees who recently came to Utah after the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan last year.
Cox provided a housing update about the refugees Thursday, as well. The governor said many people reached out after learning the state had a shortage of 50 housing units for the people fleeing Afghanistan for Utah.
He wasn't sure of the number now but said the state is now "getting very close" to closing that housing gap.
