KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – Governor Chris Sununu has vetoed a bill introduced by a local lawmaker that would have made it easier for some people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents to obtain a driver’s license.

Senate Bill 501, introduced by District 10 Senator Donovan Fenton, amended the current law, RSA 263:39-a – License for Aliens Temporarily Residing in New Hampshire.

The law allows the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles to issue drivers licenses on a temporary basis to any noncitizen living in New Hampshire to attend school or engage in lawful employment.

In introducing the bill, Fenton said the law is confusing and subject to some misinterpretations. SB 501 included some clarifying provisions in an effort to clear up some of that confusion.

“It would not have expanded who is able to obtain a license, but it would have provided clarity, ultimately helping individuals in the state to get to their jobs, support their families, and build lives as productive members of their communities,” Fenton said in a statement following Sununu’s veto of the bill.

SB 501 removed the term “nonresident alien” from the law and replaced it with “noncitizen”, and added language that specifically said the DMV could issue drivers licenses to anyone living in New Hampshire who has been granted conditional or permanent residence by the U.S. Government, or who has been granted an Employment Authorization Document by the U.S. Government, along with the other stipulations outlined in the law.

In his veto message last week, Sununu said the bill introduced harmful confusion, and relied on terminology not used by the DMV.

“The lack of specificity within this bill’s text does not fulfill the stated legislative intent. Instead, this bill utilizes language such as “conditional” and “temporary,” without clarifying what either term means,” Sununu said. “This oversight is of great importance as the term ‘conditional’ is not currently used by the Department of Motor Vehicles.”

Sununu continued to say that because of that, the department has no legal basis to determine whether an individual has been granted conditional residency.

“It is troubling that the Governor chose to not support our immigrant communities, who are lawfully in New Hampshire, by vetoing my SB 501 legislation this week,” Fenton said. “As a state, we should be sending a strong message that New Hampshire supports our immigrants, and SB 501 would have done just that by clarifying when the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue driver’s licenses to noncitizens who are lawfully in the state.”

SB 501 passed both the House and the Senate to land on Sununu’s desk and had support from the DMV.