Tens of Thousands of Pennsylvanians May Have Hope of License Suspensions Being Lifted

Secretary of Transportation Claims Governor Wolf is Eager for General Assembly to Make Change

Tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians are currently under non-driving related license suspension, despite Pennsylvania’s General Assembly passing legislation last year to end this practice. The legislation that was passed failed to address license suspensions for those already on suspension, including tens of thousands of individuals who will continue to have their licenses suspended until as late as 2026 unless action is taken.

Led by national non-profit Equal Justice Under Law, more than 50 local and national organizations joined forces to urge Governor Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) to retroactively enforce Act 95. A letter was sent in December, signed by the heads of national-level organizations such as Equal Justice Under Law and Center for Employment Opportunities, as well as local Pennsylvania-based agencies such as Returning Citizens for a Better Philadelphia, The Office of the Public Defender in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County District Attorney and the Mayor of Pittsburgh. In the letter, the organizations urge Governor Wolf and PennDot to “break down unnecessary and difficult roadblocks for the thousands of Pennsylvanians still struggling with non-driving license suspension.”

In a response letter to Equal Justice Under Law, Secretary of Transportation Yassmin Gramian stated, “Governor Wolf would be eager to sign legislation to provide relief to those individuals who licenses are currently suspended for these offenses, and the administration is working with the legislature on language to do just that.”

Having one’s driver’s license suspended makes it difficult to maintain or secure employment, provide for one’s family and contribute to society in a positive way. Pennsylvania’s General Assembly found license suspension for non-driving infractions to be unnecessarily harsh and affirmatively detrimental to rehabilitation.

Phil Telfeyan, the lead signer of the letter and the Executive Director of Equal Justice Under Law, a national law nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., states, “Retroactive enforcement will ensure that Act 95 will accomplish the commonsense reform goals that were intended by the General Assembly. Until action is taken, tens of thousands of people will continue under license suspension. We hope to see swift action from the legislature and Governor Wolf in moving forward.”

Read the full letter from Secretary Gramian here.