September 16, 2026
Mr. Husted (for himself and Mr. Moreno) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
To withhold Federal highway funds from States that provide driver’s licenses or identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Red Light Act
.
Sec. 2. Withholding of funds for providing identification cards to certain aliens
(a) In general
Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
180. Withholding of funds for providing identification cards to certain aliens
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Identification card
The term identification card means a personal identification card (as defined in section 1028(d) of title 18).
(2) Noncompliant State
The term noncompliant State means a State that has in effect a law or policy that allows the State to provide a driver's license or other identification card to an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States.
(b) Withholding
On October 1, 2026, and each October 1 thereafter, the Secretary shall withhold from a noncompliant State 100 percent of the amount required to be apportioned to the State under each of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 104(b).
(c) Release of funds
Except as provided in subsection (e), if, before the last day of the fiscal year for which funds are withheld under subsection (b), the Secretary determines that the noncompliant State is no longer a noncompliant State, the Secretary shall, on the first day on which the Secretary makes that determination, apportion to the State the funds withheld under subsection (b) that remain available for apportionment to the State.
(d) Redistribution of withheld funds
On the first October 1 after a fiscal year for which amounts were withheld from a State under subsection (b), and were not released under subsection (c), the Secretary shall redistribute those amounts to States that are not noncompliant States so that each such State receives an amount equal to the proportion that—
(1)
the amount apportioned to the State under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 104(b); bears to
(2)
the total amount apportioned to all States that are not noncompliant States under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 104(b).
(e) Withholding in future years
If a State to which funds were released under subsection (c) subsequently becomes a noncompliant State after the date of that release of funds, the Secretary shall withhold the funds described in subsection (b) from that State for the fiscal year that begins after the State subsequently becomes a noncompliant State and for each fiscal year thereafter.
(b) Clerical amendment
The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: