Bill Would Allow Undocumented Immigrants to Practice Health Care

The bill, SB 1159, is sponsored by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens)

By Sergio Klor de Alva

California legislators are considering SB 1159, which would grant medically trained undocumented immigrants the right to practice health care in the state.

 

The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that undocumented immigrants comprise about 1.85 million members of the state’s workforce.

 

Under current state law, individuals must provide a valid Social Security number when applying for a medical license. This legislation would allow about 40 occupational licensing boards across the state to accept federal taxpayer identification numbers as proof of identification, rather than only Social Security numbers.

 

Supporters of the bill argue that it would expand on other recently enacted measures that provide some undocumented immigrants in the state with certain privileges such as college scholarships and driver’s licenses. Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), the bill’s sponsor, believes the bill will guarantee more opportunities for economic mobility among Californians.

 

Opponents of the bill, such as the Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee and the Federation of American Immigration Reform, contend that state laws should enforce stricter requirements on immigrants entering the country without documentation and should limit the benefits available to undocumented immigrants already in the country.

 

For more information, please read the original Los Angeles Times story.