All written Tennessee driver's license exams would have to be taken in English under a new bill sponsored by a Chattanooga lawmaker.

Like many other states, Tennessee currently offers the written test — which prospective drivers must take to demonstrate they understand the rules of the road — in other languages, including Spanish.

The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Bo Watson, R-North Chattanooga, contradicts the wishes of immigrants rights groups, which have for years called for the written test to be available in more languages, arguing that driving is an important part of establishing a life in a state where public transit is scarce.

A spokesperson, Albert Waterhouse, said Watson was not available for an interview Friday. Neither Waterhouse nor Watson responded to written questions about the purpose of the bill and criticisms it faces.

Waterhouse said to contact other local lawmakers on the House Transportation Committee. One of them is Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, who in a phone interview Friday said the bill is not about immigrants at all, but rather about public safety.

"I appreciate the diversity and the fact that we want to invite people to speak their native languages," he said. "But driving and being aware of our public safety is important. Most of our signs are in English. And interpretation of those signs is done in English. And I think it's important that people understand our driving practices in Tennessee."

Vital said he was not aware of any studies showing people who speak limited English are worse drivers.

(READ MORE: Immigrants, organizations want Arabic, other language options for Tennessee driver's exam)

There are no such studies, said Luis Mata, a spokesperson with the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, who condemned the bill as extremist and discriminatory and said it would incentivize people to drive without a license.

"Imagine you have a sick child, you're sick yourself and you have no way to get to the doctor's office," he said in a phone interview. "You lack transportation to get to work. Or you're always having to rely on friends to take you to the grocery store because of this piece of legislation.

"This is a direct attack against our civil rights."

Hundreds of thousands of Tennessee residents speak a language other than English at home, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

English-only bills meant to restrict the languages used in government documents are a perennial feature of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Given political dynamics afoot, the latest bill has better odds of passing this year than in the past, said state Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee.

In a phone interview, she said the proposal is driven by xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment and also seems unwise given the numerous foreign-based companies operating in Tennessee.

"You're going to tell tire manufactures and chemical factories and auto makers and all kinds of other companies that their employees and future employees that are coming can't get a driver's license? That's just bad for business," she said. "These are laws that disrespect our neighbors and ignore Tennessee's global economy. They're bound to backfire."

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In addition to requiring that written test be administered in English, the proposal would also prohibit the use of a translation dictionary, electronic device or interpreter to assist a person taking the examination.

Watson has championed other high-profile immigration crackdown measures this legislative session. One of them would allow Tennessee public schools to refuse to enroll children who are unauthorized immigrants — a law that would challenge a longstanding U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

Reached for comment, an aide to Rep. Kip Capley, R-Summertown, the house sponsor of the driving exam bill, referred a reporter to Republican spokesperson Jennifer Easton, who did not respond to an email or voicemail Friday.

Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Hixson, another member of the house transportation committee, also did not respond to a call or email to her office seeking her perspective. Bridge Refugee Services chief Marina Peshterianu did not comment when reached by email.

Contact Andrew Schwartz at aschwartz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.