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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT:
Nicole Reigelman |
State Rep. W. Curtis
Thomas |
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To: Editorial/Opinion Page Editor
From: State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, D-Phila., chairman, House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee
Subject: Federal Real ID Act of 2005
Please publish the following guest editorial by state Rep. W. Curtis Thomas on what the federal Real ID Act of 2005 means to the residents of the Commonwealth. If you need more information, please contact Nicole Reigelman at 717-787-7895 or by e-mail at nreigelm@pahouse.net.
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Pennsylvania, along with every other state in the nation, is confronted with a massive federal mandate – a mandate unmatched in the financial burden it creates, the stringent deadline it sets and the privacy concerns that could result.
I am talking about the federal Real ID Act of 2005. The act requires states, beginning in 2008, to develop and implement a uniform federal identification document for driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards. More than 8.5 million Pennsylvania driver’s licenses and approximately 400,000 state identification cards will be affected by this law.
The law requires residents to physically visit one of the limited number of transportation facilities in the state with specific documentation in order to secure a standardized driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card.
States have until 2013 to complete this process unless there are major changes in the current law. As the law is currently written, millions of citizens would be unable to enter federal buildings, board planes or travel without this new identification.
The House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and now the full Pennsylvania House of Representatives have unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to delay and/or repeal implementation of this federal law for several reasons.
First, the federal government has failed to provide Pennsylvania with the financial resources necessary to implement the law and meet the standards required. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation estimates that it will cost a minimum of $100 million to purchase and install the new technology required to implement the federal standards.
Further, the law is an encroachment on citizens’ right to travel, which is a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Also, because information will be stored in huge, centralized databases, there is potential for breaches in security and privacy violations.
The law as it is currently drafted requires people to physically appear at a PennDOT facility. This requirement presents a real inconvenience and challenge for the elderly, infirm and working people. It will also create long waits for service at PennDOT facilities, and according to PennDOT, will heighten security risks.
Workers, patrons and seniors will be faced with major problems of access and service. The House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee is urging residents, civic, political and religious leaders to call or write their congressional representatives to encourage a change and or repeal of the existing law.
It is our hope that pressure from Pennsylvania along with other states will be enough to reverse the Real ID law.
State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas represents the 181st Legislative District in Philadelphia and is chairman of the House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.
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