Panel passes tweaks to state immigration law

A bill aimed at preventing massive backlogs in state license renewals for thousands of nurses, insurance salesman and other professionals passed a key legislative committee Wednesday.

House Bill 125 would tweak Georgia’s sweeping immigration law so that people who have presented identification proving U.S. citizenship would not have to do so again when reapplying for such licenses and other public benefits.

The legislation — sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dustin Hightower of Carrollton — has cleared the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.

Officials in the Secretary of State and Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner offices say Georgia’s immigration law has been bogging down the processes they use to issue licenses.

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