El Paso City Council approves Enhanced Library Card Program

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso City Council voted unanimously this morning to pass the approval of the Enhanced Library Card Program for the community.

The cards will be available to those over the age of 18, and would provide residents an El Paso City identification card. The card would allow individuals to file police reports, open a bank account, pick up children from school, and access to public libraries. 

These ID cards cannot replace a state issued ID or its functions which include buying alcohol, driving, and voting. 

However, these identifications will be accepted by the El Paso Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office. An implementation plan for these IDs is expected to begin in April of 2024.

“Law enforcement is a huge piece of this, right? If you do not have identification, it is really hard for people to feel comfortable calling police to file reports of domestic violence, to reach out if there's something going on in their neighborhood," said City Representative Alexsandra Annello.

This program will be payed using taxpayer money, with the pilot phase cost of this program being $105,451. The city is expected to issue 10,000 cards in the first year, and expect to issue more if the program is successful.