After a year of languishing in the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee, Senate Bill No. 305 was approved by the State Senate on Tuesday, March 31, 2004. This bill requires that all Pennsylvania males, ages 18-26, who apply for a Learner’s Permit, Driver’s License, or state-issued Identification Card consent to register with the Selective Service System as part of the application.

There is no place on the application to affirm one’s status as a conscientious objector, and those whose conscience will not allow them to register at all cannot receive a driver’s license, permit, or ID. This is an unfair penalty that discriminates against and punishes conscientious objectors for their moral positions against war.

The SSS already has adequate means to request voluntary registration, even for those who forgot to register at age 18, without making registration a part of the driver licensing process. It is also an unnecessary penalty to add for conscientious non-registrants, who are already denied federal school aid and jobs and may face fines of up to $250,000 and/or a 5 year prison sentence.

Finally, this bill is a violation of the Pennsylvania Religious Freedom Protection Act of 2002. Any law that is enacted in Pennsylvania must be written in such a way that it least restricts the practice of one’s religious beliefs. This bill would erode the religious liberty of Pennsylvanians who are religious conscientious objectors because these men must choose between maintaining their religious convictions and having a driver’s license.

Thankfully, there is still hope for amending the current language of the bill to make Selective Service registration an elective, rather than mandatory step in applying for a driver’s license. This option would preserve the rights and religious liberties of Pennsylvania’s conscientious non-registrants while providing an additional opportunity for young men to register with the Federal Selective Service.

Right now the bill is being considered by the House Transportation Committee. Please take some time to contact your state representative to express your concerns about this inappropriate bill; you can find out who your representative is by visiting www.legis.state.pa.us. You may also want to contact the members of the House Transportation Committee, which is chaired by the Hon. Richard Allen Geist (R) (717-787-6419) and the Hon. Keith R. McCall (D) (717-783-1375). If you would like to learn more about this bill and read a longer list of talking points, visit the Center on Conscience and War at www.nisbco.org. Please act today to protect the rights of conscientious objectors!