Senate panel advances bill for Amish photo-less ID cards

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – An Indiana Senate committee has unanimously passed a bill allowing a religious exemption from photographs on state identification cards.

The homeland security committee approved the measure Tuesday that would allow the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue a photo-less ID to applicants who have sincere religious objections to having their picture taken.

Bill author Rep. Robert Morris, a Fort Wayne Republican, says facial recognition technology would instead capture a scan to be kept on record.

Indiana’s Amish population can’t access outside businesses like banks and pharmacies without some kind of state identification. Supporters say the proposal will remedy this issue, while critics fear it will increase the use of false or fake IDs.

The measure now goes to the full Senate for consideration.