Question: What is the status of the driver’s license for kupuna? Is it approved?

Q: What’s going on with the state ID for people who don’t have all their paperwork? The one they give now is only for the severely disabled, which is no good for me. I don’t drive, so I need an ID, not a license.

Answer: Numerous readers are asking about separate measures the Legislature took up this session that would allow older motorists to renew their driver’s licenses less often and expand the pool of applicants eligible for a limited-purpose state identification card that does not meet U.S. REAL ID standards. Both bills made it through conference committees and are poised for final votes in the state House and Senate this week. If approved as expected, they would move on to Gov. David Ige for consideration.

Here are the details:

>> SB 2679 SD2 HD2 CD1 (808ne.ws/kulic): Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 286-106 as of Jan. 1, 2023, so that drivers ages 72 to 79 would receive a four-year Hawaii driver’s license, rather than the two-year license that prevails now for drivers 72 and older. The two-year license would persist for drivers 80 and older.

The original version of this bill would have required that applicants this age present medical proof of mental and physical competence to drive, but those early provisions were stripped as the measure evolved. The final version retains language from current Hawaii law, which allows a shorter-duration license to be issued to an applicant, regardless of age, who has a physical condition “that the examiner of drivers reasonably believes may impair the driver’s ability to drive.”

Drivers ages 25 to 71 on the date of issuance are eligible for an eight-year license; SB 2679 doesn’t change that. For legal immigrants, the license would expire “no later than the licensee’s authorized period of stay in the United States,” as under current law.

>> HB1761 HD1 SD2 CD1 (808ne.ws/ncsi): Amends HRS Chapter 286 to allow people who can’t or refuse to prove their lawful U.S. presence to obtain a limited purpose identification card that does not comply with the federal REAL ID law. This is similar to the noncompliant, limited purpose driver’s license already available in Hawaii, but is intended for people who don’t drive. Currently, Hawaii issues noncompliant state IDs only to people who are incapacitated. This has left many others, including not only undocumented immigrants but also some young adults, elderly, Pacific migrants, homeless and former prison inmates, unable to obtain a government-issued ID needed for everyday tasks, not to mention “kamaaina discounts at museums, hotels, and public parks, including Hanauma Bay,” the bill says. This ID, for state identification purposes only, would not meet the rigorous rules of the U.S. REAL ID Act, could not be used for official federal purposes and would not “establish eligibility for employment, voter registration, or public benefits,” the bill says. The measure would take effect upon approval.

The bill gives applicants options to prove their identity — such as a birth certificate, passport from their home country, foreign driver’s license, college ID or prison ID — and Hawaii residency — such as a wage stub, home utility bill, rental agreement, Hawaii property deed or mortgage statement, or income tax return.

Unlike Hawaii’s limited purpose driver’s license, which does not prevent REAL ID holders from applying, a person with a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card from any state would not be eligible for a noncompliant Hawaii state ID. This restriction, which was added to the bill after a request by the state Department of Transportation, raises questions about whether part-time Hawaii residents from other countries may be able to obtain the noncompliant Hawaii ID, while part-time residents from U.S. states could not, assuming they have a REAL ID from their other state. We sought clarification from the DOT, but did not hear back by deadline. The bill does not specifically address part-time residency.

REAL ID credentials are issued by U.S. states to individuals who prove their identity, that they are in the U.S. legally and that they reside in the state. Federal law limits a person to one state-issued REAL ID, but does not prevent a person from holding a REAL ID and a noncompliant credential.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.