The Iowa House has advanced a proposal to ban local forms of identification, also known as community IDs. The bill (HF 2296) specifically bans cities and counties from having their own forms of ID, except for city employees or officials whose job duties require them.
Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, spoke against the proposal. Levin said a community ID program in her district has been in place for more than 10 years. Levin said the Johnson County program is useful because many residents don’t drive and can’t reach the Department of Transportation office to access non-driver IDs.
“This program has done nothing but benefit Johnson County,” Levin said. “Taking it away is an egregious error that strips local control and disregards a proven program that has resounding benefits.”
According to Johnson County, the ID card can be used for interacting with law enforcement, schools and city agencies. It cannot be used to vote, get a driver’s license or prove employment eligibility.
Rep. Mike Vondran, R-Davenport, said getting rid of local IDs will create more clarity for law enforcement, employers and other agencies trying to verify someone’s identity.
“Community-based IDs can often lack standardized data collection, uniform security features or integration with state and national databases, making them easier targets for forgery and misuse,” he said.
The bill next heads to the Senate.