Permitting the division of vehicles to contract with an entity to establish and issue a digital proof of drivers' license and digital proof of identification card, regulating the use thereof and providing a fee for such digital proofs of identification.
HB 2319 authorizes the Kansas Division of Vehicles to create, or contract with a public or private entity to create, an optional digital proof of driver’s license and an optional digital proof of identification card. The bill defines the electronic credentialing system, sets security and privacy requirements for the system, and allows the division to issue digital credentials only when the applicant already has, or is issued simultaneously with, the corresponding physical card. It also permits the division to use limited contact information for communications related to the digital credential and authorizes rules and regulations to ensure authentication and security.
The bill also regulates how digital credentials may be used by third parties. It restricts scanning and resale or sharing of personal information obtained from a scan without express written consent, with an exception for state-chartered banks, savings and loan associations, and trust companies. It creates penalties for manufacturing or possessing false digital credentials, and it clarifies that presenting a phone or electronic device for identity verification does not by itself authorize a search of the device or access to unrelated information. The bill further states that digital credentials are not valid substitutes where Kansas law specifically requires a physical license or identification card, including for operating a motor vehicle and voting.
HB 2319 amends several driver’s license and identification card statutes to integrate digital credentials into existing law. It adds a $10 fee for issuance of a digital proof of driver’s license and a $10 fee for a digital proof of identification card, while leaving the physical card system in place. It also updates provisions on license and ID issuance, renewal, lawful presence verification, temporary credentials, veteran and cognition-designation options, and administrative authority so the Division of Vehicles can administer digital credentials alongside physical ones.
The bill’s impact on state law is to create a new optional digital credential framework within Kansas motor vehicle law while preserving the existing physical license and ID card system. It expands the division’s authority over credential issuance and verification, adds privacy and cybersecurity requirements, and establishes criminal and civil enforcement tools for misuse or counterfeiting. It also amends related statutes governing fees, renewal, identification requirements, and document design to account for digital formats.
No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative debate or voting pattern to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears primarily administrative and modernization-oriented, with an emphasis on convenience, security, and privacy safeguards. Likely areas of concern include data privacy, device-search protections, third-party scanning of credentials, and whether digital IDs should be accepted in place of physical IDs for all purposes.
HB 2319 would amend Kansas driver’s license and identification card law to allow the Division of Vehicles to issue optional digital proofs of licensure and identification, either directly or through a contracted electronic credentialing system. It would add new statutory definitions, impose security and privacy requirements, authorize fees for digital credentials, create penalties for false digital credentials, and clarify that digital credentials do not replace physical cards where other laws require a physical document. The bill also updates related statutes on issuance, renewal, lawful presence, and administrative authority to incorporate digital credentials into the existing motor vehicle framework.
No committee discussion or vote record was provided, so there is no direct evidence of legislative support or opposition from the available materials. The bill’s structure suggests a generally favorable, modernization-oriented approach focused on convenience, authentication, and security. At the same time, the inclusion of privacy limits, anti-search language, and restrictions on third-party data use indicates awareness of potential concerns about surveillance, data collection, and misuse of digital identity information.
The main points of contention are likely to be privacy and civil-liberties issues, especially the rules governing scanning of digital credentials, retention and sharing of personal information, and whether presenting a phone for identity verification could expose unrelated device data. Another likely concern is the role of private contractors in operating the electronic credentialing system and handling user information. There may also be debate over the bill’s decision to exclude digital credentials from satisfying certain legal requirements, such as voting or operating a motor vehicle, and over the new fees for optional digital IDs.