The California Senate Transportation Committee has voted in favor of a new bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in the state.

The bill, SB1160, passed the committee June 16 by a vote of 7 to 4. It is now headed to the Rules Committee, which will decide whether to send it to the full Senate.

The bill contains a number of requirements immigrants must meet to obtain the licenses. They must have a document that proves their identity and is acceptable to the state. They must have a sponsor who is both a license holder and a U.S. citizen. In addition, a license applicant must be fingerprinted and pass a criminal background check.

The bill is the latest round in an ongoing battle about licenses for undocumented immigrants. A bill that allowed many illegal immigrants to obtain legal California driver’s licenses was passed and signed by then-Gov. Gray Davis in September 2003.

That bill, SB60, set off a firestorm. During the recall campaign against Davis, now-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would work to repeal the measure. In December, the Assembly passed a bill repealing the license bill, which was signed by Schwarzenegger, making it once again unlawful for undocumented workers to obtain licenses.

Since then, various public officials in California, including the new governor, have said they would revisit the issue, many indicating they were looking for a compromise.

Whether that will happen is uncertain. Copley News Service reported June 17 that the measure would likely stay in the Rules Committee until a compromise with the governor is reached.