Lawmakers in the Illinois House voted to implement more stringent background checks on drivers for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft.
Drivers already have to pass some kind of background check. But Democratic state Representative Laura Fine of Glenview says those checks haven’t always been enough to stop unqualified people from picking up the gig.
During a House debate, Fine talked about an Uber driver from her hometown who was arrested for drunk driving while on the job.
She explained the driver had several DUI convictions, but used an alias to get hired. Her bill, she says, would put a stop to that.
“What this does is it says exactly what they’re looking for when it comes to doing a background check," she said. "So, if there are any aliases, it will be found out in that check.”
Fine’s legislation would require rideshare drivers to give full legal names and other personal information when applying. It also ups the penalties for anyone caught lying, which includes fines and court supervision.
The measure unanimously passed the House and is on its way to the state Senate for consideration.??
