| NGA News  Jul. 19, 2009—Biloxi, Miss. (from left) Governors Bill Ritter, Jim Douglas, Martin O'Malley and Joe Manchin with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the Pass ID news conference. Governors Praise Passage by Committee of the PASS ID Act of 2009 (July 29, 2009)
The nation’s governors applaud members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for passing the Providing for Additional Security In States’ Identification Act of 2009 (PASS ID). This legislation transforms an unworkable law into a practical solution. Governors Applaud Senate Introduction of the PASS ID Act of 2009 (June 18, 2009)
NGA praised the introduction of a bill by Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka, Ohio Sen. George Voinovich, Montana Sen. Max Baucus, Delaware Sen. Thomas Carper, Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy and Montana Sen. Jon Tester to transform the REAL ID Act and urged swift action to preserve the security and integrity of driver's licenses and identification cards, maintain flexibility for states and reduce implementation costs. Policy Reference:
EC-02. Secure State Driver's Licenses and Identification Cards Testimony -
July 15, 2009
Testimony by NGA Director of Federal Relations David Quam, on behalf of NGA, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on PASS ID. -
July 15, 2009
Testimony by Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, on behalf of NGA, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on PASS ID. -
Napolitano Presses for PASS ID Act (July 21, 2009)
HS Today -
Govs resist added federal expenses from Congress (July 20, 2009)
The Associated Press -
Critics: Real ID is unreal (July 18, 2009)
Las Vegas Sun -
Real ID Act faces repeal after outcry from Napolitano, states (July 16, 2009)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -
Plan to boost driver's license security (July 16, 2009)
The Associated Press -
Effort to Replace Federal Driver's License Mandate Gains (July 15, 2009)
The New York Times -
Key senators open to revamping secure ID plans (July 15, 2009)
The Washington Post -
Napolitano endorses PASS ID bill (June 26, 2009)
Federal Computer Week -
Real ID Version 2 Introduced in Congress (June 16, 2009)
Government Technology -
Administration Plans to Scale Back Real ID Law (June 14, 2009)
The Washington Post
"Reacting to the Sept. 11 attacks, Congress passed the Real ID law last year, intending to make it tougher for terrorists to obtain driver's licenses and for people without proper identification to board planes or enter federal buildings. But with the deadline for setting up the law two years away, states are frustrated. They say the law - which requires states to use sources like birth certificates and national immigration databases to verify that people applying for or renewing driver's licenses are American citizens or legal residents - will be too expensive and difficult to put in place by the May 2008 deadline."—The New York Times, May 6, 2006 Real ID Background Background On May 11, 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act as part of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief Act (P.L. 109-13), creating national standards for the issuance of state driver's licenses (DLs) and identification cards (IDs). The act establishes certain standards, procedures and requirements for state-issued DLs and IDs that must be met by May 11, 2008 if they are to be accepted as valid by the federal government. These standards will alter long-standing state laws, regulations and practices governing the qualifications for and the production and issuance of DLs and IDs in every state. They also will require substantial investments by states and the federal government to meet the objectives of the act. A comprehensive analysis of the federal Real ID Act released earlier this year reveals a cost to states of more than $11 billion over five years. The report-which reflects findings from a survey conducted by the National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators-sets forth the consequences and costs of implementing the act and makes recommendations to facilitate a more realistic approach. Among the recommendations outlined in the report, states asked the federal government to: - extend the compliance deadline;
- provide the funds necessary for states to comply with Real ID;
- provide the federal electronic verification systems necessary to comply with the law;
- require states to employ electronic verification systems only as they become available;
- implement a 10 year re-enrollment schedule;
- adopt uniform naming conventions to facilitate electronic verification between files;
- allow reciprocity for persons already vetted by the federal government
- establish card security criteria based on performance-not technology; and
- grant the Secretary of Homeland Security the flexibility to recognize innovation at the state level.
"The cost of obtaining a driver's license could double, and renewing a license by mail would end by 2008, according to state officials responsible for enforcing a federal law aimed at thwarting terrorists and discouraging illegal immigrants."—USA Today, March 14, 2006 "Motorists who dread trips to get or renew a driver's license should brace themselves: Those long lines for license applicants are going to get longer. That's the forecast from experts working with states to put in place tough new federal standards for drivers' licenses nationwide - new requirements that they say will ensure longer waiting lines and steeper fees."—Hearst Newspapers, September 4, 2006   
Sept. 21, 2006
Washington, D.C.—Media briefing on the release of a comprehensive analysis of the federal Real ID Act. Raymond C. Scheppach, NGA Executive Director
William T. Pound, National Conference of State Legislatures Executive Director
Tom Wolfsohn, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators Chief Policy Officer -
State Groups Acknowledge Final Real ID Regulations (January 11, 2008) -
Governors Resist Expanding Real ID Mandate (June 7, 2007) -
NGA, NCSL, AAMVA Submit Official Comments and Recommendations to DHS (May 8, 2007) -
Governors and State Legislators Respond to Real ID Regulations, Concerns Remain (March 1, 2007) -
NGA Praises Congressional Movement to Correct Real ID (February 28, 2007) -
NGA, NCSL Applaud Congressional Recognition of Real ID Shortcomings (December 11, 2006) -
Real ID Will Cost States $11.1 Billion (September 21, 2006) -
Governors Seek Solution to Real ID (August 4, 2005) -
Governors, State Legislators Oppose Real ID Provisions (April 28, 2005) -
NGA Statement on Passage of Real ID (May 13, 2005) Position Letters -
May 17, 2007
May 17, 2007 letter (from Governor Napolitano and Governor Pawlenty) to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Byrd and Ranking Member Cochran, and to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Lewis asking that the fiscal year 2008 Homeland Security appropriations bill provide $1 billion to cover the up front state costs of implementing Real ID. -
May 16, 2007
May 16, 2007 letter (from Governor Minner and Governor Gibbons) to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Byrd and Ranking Member Cochran asking that they fund the State Homeland Security Grant Program at the FY 2005 level of $1.1 billion (Identical letter also sent to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chairman Price and Ranking Member Rogers) -
May 8, 2007
May 8, 2007 letter (from NGA executive director Raymond C. Scheppach, NCSL executive director William T. Pound, and AAMVA interim president and CEO Michael R. Calvin) to the Department of Homeland Security submitting comments and recommendations in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on minimum standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards (Real ID).
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March 19, 2007
March 19, 2007 letter (from Governor Napolitano and Governor Pawlenty) to House Budget Committee Chairman Spratt and Ranking Member Ryan requesting that the committee provide adequate budget authority to fund Real ID. -
November 29, 2005 letter
(from NGA executive director Raymond C. Scheppach, NCSL executive director William T. Pound, and AAMVA president and CEO Linda R. Lewis-Pickett) to Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Planning Stewart A. Baker on the consultation process for developing standards and regulations regarding the implementation of the REAL ID statute -
October 6, 2005 letter
(from Governor Huckabee and Governor Napolitano) to Secretary Chertoff expressing Governors' concerns about the implementation of the REAL ID statute and asking the Secretary to include Governors in the process for developing regulations. |
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