Students of San Dieguito Academy responded positively to a new bill that allows undocumented immigrants to drive legally because of the benefits it will have for the undocumented community and, for some, family members.

The Safe and Responsible Drivers Act (AKA Assembly bill 60 or AB 60) will allow undocumented immigrants to drive legally as long as they meet the requirements. Proposed by Assemblyman Luis Alejo, AB 60 was passed in California in October of this year. According to the dmv.ca.gov, these new licenses will have the letters DP on the front, short for Driver’s Privilege instead of the regular Driver’s License. This means that even though they will be able to drive legally, undocumented cardholders will not be legal themselves.

Driver’s licenses obtained through The Safe and Responsible Drivers Act will have one distinct difference from driver’s licenses obtained through the regular system.

Around San Dieguito Academy, not many people seem to be aware of this bill. Out of 19 selected students, only three knew about AB 60, though none knew the bill by its name(s).

Students who knew nothing of the bill had generally positive responses when informed of how the AB 60 will help undocumented immigrants.

“It’s good for me and my family because my family members will finally be able to drive without fear of getting their cars taken away,” said a male junior. “It doesn’t really affect me because most of my family has papers, but I think it will affect our community in good ways. Our part of California has a lot of illegal immigrants, so now they drive without worrying about the police,” said Junior Jeremy Garcia.

Concerns about law enforcement and deportation were common among students with little knowledge of The Safe and Responsible Drivers Act. In reality, undocumented drivers will not be deported if they are pulled over, as long as they have the Driver’s Privilege card and car insurance. In addition, Driver’s Privilege cards will not be permitted for use in criminal investigations.

But despite these concerns, the 19 SDA students interviewed agreed that this bill will help the undocumented community of Encinitas.

“The illegal immigrant population around Encinitas is very high, so it will cause a big change in the community. For me, my uncle has it pretty hard without a license, so it will help people like him,” said a second male junior.

“This bill will allow for a more productive workforce. My dad would probably have a tough time getting to work if he didn’t have a license, so it’s good that more people can get licenses,” said a third male junior.

“The Government is finally realizing how much they can benefit from this bill, whether it is from the DMV and insurance payments, or more workers earning money and paying taxes,” said Junior Ariel Nava, who had prior knowledge of this bill.

Even students who weren’t directly affected by Assembly Bill 60 supported its cause.

“It doesn’t affect me so much, but it’s good for people who can’t get licenses,” said Sophomore Brooke Russell.

This bill will begin to take effect January 2015, and now the DMVs of California are preparing to process new applicants hoping to acquire a Driver’s Privilege license.