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REGULAR MEETING APRIL 27, 2015 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />19-15 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE <br />CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, CALLING FOR THE <br />ESTABLISHMENT OF A SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL ID CARD PROGRAM <br />Bill No. _______________ <br /> <br />Ordinance No. __________________ <br /> <br />AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH <br />BEND, INDIANA, CALLING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A <br />SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL ID CARD PROGRAM <br /> <br />STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT <br /> <br /> The South Bend Common Council notes that since 2005, there have been communities <br />studying municipal identification card programs. One of the first studies was conducted by the <br />Unidad Latina enAccion (ULA) in New Haven, Connecticut. <br /> New Haven, Connecticut was the first city to implement a municipal identification program <br />in 2007, and their program uses what is referred to as an “Elm City Resident Card”. Two (2) <br />proofs of New Haven residency are required to be eligible, with the card expiring when an <br />individual no long has residency within the city limits. The fees for such a card were $5.00 for <br />children and $10.00 for adults. The overall purpose of the card was to provide proof of <br />identification and residency for the approximate 10,000 to 15,000 undocumented persons living in <br />New Haven. Their card can also be used as a debit card with a limit of $150; a method of payment <br />for parking meter fees; and works as a library card. Private funds from the First City Fund <br />Corporation in the amount of $250,359 were used to fund the implementation of their program. <br /> San Francisco, California became the next city to develop a city ID program, with their <br />Board of Supervisors voting in November of 2007 to move forward with the program. In October <br />of 2008 a court in San Francisco ruled that the “…city’s plan to issue municipal identification <br />cards to residents regardless of immigration status does not violate state and federal law”. <br />Ordinance No. 279-08 was passed on November 18, 2008 which amended the original ordinance; <br />with educational and training materials then being prepared along with hardware and software <br />programs. On January 15, 2009 the City of San Francisco officially began issuing “SF City ID <br />Cards”. <br /> The following communities and the year each community’s ID program became <br />operational is briefly set forth below: <br />2010 Trenton, New Jersey 2013 Oakland, California <br />2011 Richmond, California 2015 New York, New York <br />2012 Los Angeles, California <br /> <br />Some of the other communities looking into whether a program would be in the best <br />interests of their cities include New Orleans, Louisiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. <br />Each program is unique to the municipality which created it by proper ordinance. Some of <br />the studies have indicated that a municipal-issued identification card may assist law enforcement <br /> <br /> <br />South Bend Municipal ID Card Program Ordinance <br />Page 2 <br /> <br /> <br />officials and undocumented individuals to better interact. Some are linked to various forms of <br />economic programs such as Richmond, California’s having the option of having a $200 pre-paid <br />debit limit; Los Angeles, California’s also having a prepaid debit option; with Oakland, California <br />being the first community to have this function. <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br /> <br />