SPRINGFIELD – Illinois moved a step closer Tuesday to becoming the next state to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses after House lawmakers approved a bill requiring one-year proof of state residency, form of identification and a photograph.

The House voted 65-46 in favor of the plan, which now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn. Quinn has said he will sign the measure. The proposal was touted as a public-safety measure that will enable potential licensees to take written and driving tests in order to be licensed. Immigrants will also have to show proof of auto insurance when they submit their application. As many as 250,000 illegal immigrants in the state would be eligible to apply for the cards, the sponsors of the bill said in the House floor.

"This bill means safer roads for Illinois, this is going to save lives," state Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, a Cicero Democrat who sponsored the bill, said after the vote. "It's the bottom line, this is a safety issue."