Post by freddyv on Mar 4, 2008 11:21:21 GMT -5
Bravo to these states (especially NH for passing a law against this...and ME and MT too)
Homeland Security Warn States of Airport Hassles if They Don't Adopt ID Rules
Monday , March 03, 2008
WASHINGTON —
Homeland Security officials are pushing recalcitrant states to adopt stricter driver's license standards to end a standoff that could disrupt domestic air travel.
States have less than a month to send a letter to the Homeland Security Department seeking an extension to comply with the Real ID law passed following the 2001 terror attacks. Some states have resisted, saying it is costly, impractical and an invasion of privacy.
Four states — Maine, Montana, New Hampshire and South Carolina — have yet to seek an extension.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff argues that the law fixes a critical gap in security identified by the commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks: the ease of obtaining government-issued ID. It will also hinder would-be con artists and illegal immigrants, he said.
Real ID-compliant driver's licenses would have several layers of new security features to prevent forgery. They would also be issued after a number of ID checks, including verification of birth certificates, Social Security numbers and immigration status. Officials acknowledge it will take years to phase in all the different security measures.
To bring the states in line, Chertoff warned that any state that does not seek an extension by the end of March will find that, come May, their residents will not be able to use their licenses to board domestic flights.
Chertoff's assistant secretary, Stewart Baker, sent letters to several governors Monday reminding them of the looming deadline, and urging the holdouts to seek an extension.
In recent years, 17 states passed legislation or resolutions opposing Real ID, but now only a handful appear willing to challenge the government publicly.
Officials in Maine and Montana insisted Monday they would not seek an extension. A spokesman for South Carolina's governor said he was still considering it. New Hampshire passed a law last year prohibiting the state from participating in the Real ID program, and Gov. John Lynch wrote Chertoff last week asking him not to impose the requirements on New Hampshire citizens.
A fifth state, Delaware, has sent a letter asking for an extension, but DHS officials are still weighing whether the wording of the letter legally adds up to an extension request.
If the states do not seek an extention by March 31, their residents will be subjected to secondary screening by security workers before boarding any domestic flight beginning May 11.
"We're not going to buckle under here," said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. "My guess is the people of Montana would be proud to walk through that line."
Schweitzer called the Real ID proposal a bureaucratic boondoggle that will cost his state a fortune and give a false sense of security without actually making ID more reliable. He has sought to rally opposition to Real ID, but the vast majority of states have decided not to test whether Washington is bluffing.
As the high-stakes game of chicken continues, federal authorities are not publicly saying whether seeking an extension actually counts as complying with the law. In his recent letters, Baker said only that the 45 states that have sought extensions are "on track toward improved security."
In case you're wondering what PA has done:
REAL ID
What is the REAL ID Act?
In May 2005, the federal Real ID Act was passed by Congress and signed into law, creating nationwide minimum standards for states to issue driver’s licenses and identification cards. It requires changes to state standards, procedures and requirements for the issuance of driver’s licenses and identification cards, if they are to be accepted as identity documents by the federal government.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (U.S. DHS) issued the final REAL ID regulations Jan. 11, 2008. Under the final REAL ID regulations, effective May 11, 2008, only REAL ID-compliant driver’s license and identification cards will be accepted for official federal purposes, i.e. boarding a commercial aircraft, entering a nuclear power plant or federal facility that requires identification, unless states request and are granted an initial extension by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. PennDOT recently announced that the U.S. DHS has granted the commonwealth an initial extension to implement the requirements of the REAL ID Act. This extension allows Pennsylvania residents to continue using PA driver’s license and identification cards as ID for official federal purposes through Dec. 31, 2009.
This extension does not commit the commonwealth to implement REAL ID. The extension allows for more time to complete a comprehensive analysis of the REAL ID regulations to determine potential options, the costs involved and the affect on Pennsylvania’s citizens.
www.dmv.state.pa.us/idSecurityCenter/realID.shtml
Homeland Security Warn States of Airport Hassles if They Don't Adopt ID Rules
Monday , March 03, 2008
WASHINGTON —
Homeland Security officials are pushing recalcitrant states to adopt stricter driver's license standards to end a standoff that could disrupt domestic air travel.
States have less than a month to send a letter to the Homeland Security Department seeking an extension to comply with the Real ID law passed following the 2001 terror attacks. Some states have resisted, saying it is costly, impractical and an invasion of privacy.
Four states — Maine, Montana, New Hampshire and South Carolina — have yet to seek an extension.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff argues that the law fixes a critical gap in security identified by the commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks: the ease of obtaining government-issued ID. It will also hinder would-be con artists and illegal immigrants, he said.
Real ID-compliant driver's licenses would have several layers of new security features to prevent forgery. They would also be issued after a number of ID checks, including verification of birth certificates, Social Security numbers and immigration status. Officials acknowledge it will take years to phase in all the different security measures.
To bring the states in line, Chertoff warned that any state that does not seek an extension by the end of March will find that, come May, their residents will not be able to use their licenses to board domestic flights.
Chertoff's assistant secretary, Stewart Baker, sent letters to several governors Monday reminding them of the looming deadline, and urging the holdouts to seek an extension.
In recent years, 17 states passed legislation or resolutions opposing Real ID, but now only a handful appear willing to challenge the government publicly.
Officials in Maine and Montana insisted Monday they would not seek an extension. A spokesman for South Carolina's governor said he was still considering it. New Hampshire passed a law last year prohibiting the state from participating in the Real ID program, and Gov. John Lynch wrote Chertoff last week asking him not to impose the requirements on New Hampshire citizens.
A fifth state, Delaware, has sent a letter asking for an extension, but DHS officials are still weighing whether the wording of the letter legally adds up to an extension request.
If the states do not seek an extention by March 31, their residents will be subjected to secondary screening by security workers before boarding any domestic flight beginning May 11.
"We're not going to buckle under here," said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. "My guess is the people of Montana would be proud to walk through that line."
Schweitzer called the Real ID proposal a bureaucratic boondoggle that will cost his state a fortune and give a false sense of security without actually making ID more reliable. He has sought to rally opposition to Real ID, but the vast majority of states have decided not to test whether Washington is bluffing.
As the high-stakes game of chicken continues, federal authorities are not publicly saying whether seeking an extension actually counts as complying with the law. In his recent letters, Baker said only that the 45 states that have sought extensions are "on track toward improved security."
In case you're wondering what PA has done:
REAL ID
What is the REAL ID Act?
In May 2005, the federal Real ID Act was passed by Congress and signed into law, creating nationwide minimum standards for states to issue driver’s licenses and identification cards. It requires changes to state standards, procedures and requirements for the issuance of driver’s licenses and identification cards, if they are to be accepted as identity documents by the federal government.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (U.S. DHS) issued the final REAL ID regulations Jan. 11, 2008. Under the final REAL ID regulations, effective May 11, 2008, only REAL ID-compliant driver’s license and identification cards will be accepted for official federal purposes, i.e. boarding a commercial aircraft, entering a nuclear power plant or federal facility that requires identification, unless states request and are granted an initial extension by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. PennDOT recently announced that the U.S. DHS has granted the commonwealth an initial extension to implement the requirements of the REAL ID Act. This extension allows Pennsylvania residents to continue using PA driver’s license and identification cards as ID for official federal purposes through Dec. 31, 2009.
This extension does not commit the commonwealth to implement REAL ID. The extension allows for more time to complete a comprehensive analysis of the REAL ID regulations to determine potential options, the costs involved and the affect on Pennsylvania’s citizens.
www.dmv.state.pa.us/idSecurityCenter/realID.shtml