Bill passes committee requiring inmates to be issued valid state IDs upon release

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) --House Public Safety Committee advanced a bill on Feb. 20 that would require the Department of Corrections and Department of Public Safety to coordinate to issue valid state ID's to inmates when they are released.

House Bill 1310 by Rep. Marilyn Stark (R-Bethany) would create the 'Inmate ID Act of 2020' if passed into law.

The act would require the Department of Corrections and Department of Public Safety to work together to provide real ID non-compliant ID cards to all offenders who do not have a state-issued ID before their release.

“The Legislature has taken important steps to aid criminal justice reform, but the changes implemented over the last few years won’t be as effective without focusing on our recidivism rate as well,” Stark said. “A lack of state ID contributes to the struggles our state’s former inmates face upon release. One of the biggest hindrances when a person is released is employment, and they need a state ID to find a job. Without a state ID, they can’t even visit a food bank.”

The Department of Corrections would find inmates expected to leave custody within nine months and gather the documentation necessary to issue a real ID non-compliant ID card.

The ID's would be valid for four years from the month of issuance for inmates under age 65, and indefinitely for inmates over age 65.

HB 1310 passed the House Public Safety Committee 13-0 and will now be available to be considered on the House Floor.