Department of Homeland Security Agrees to Collins-Cantwell Real ID Proposal

Department of Homeland Security Agrees to Collins-Cantwell Real ID Proposal

Cantwell declares victory on critical first step in making more secure IDs manageable for states

Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded an announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that the agency would delay its implementation deadline for the Real ID Act—a 2005 law mandating strict national standards for state-issued driver's licenses. The DHS announcement comes one day after Cantwell and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced legislation to extend the implementation deadline by at least a year. Thursday, in addition to implementing a deadline extension, as called for in the Collins-Cantwell amendment, DHS agreed to revive a committee charged with reviewing the new Real ID rules.

"This is a victory that gives states the time they need to get the job done right," said Cantwell. "It's an important sign that DHS is ready to work with us to bolster homeland security in a way that doesn't violate individual privacy and doesn't gut state budgets."

The original 2005 Real ID law directs DHS to issue final recommendations for states to follow, but with the May 11, 2008 implementation deadline approaching, DHS has yet to issue final requirements, giving states too little time to comply in a cost-effective way. Following the DHS announcement, Collins and Cantwell withdrew their amendment.

The Collins-Cantwell amendment would have:

- Moved the implementation deadline to two years from the date DHS issues final Real ID rules.

- Revived a committee charged with reviewing and recommending revisions to the rules proposed by DHS. The committee, proposed in 2004 but eliminated in the final 2005 law, would give states, privacy advocates, technology experts, and Congress an opportunity to address serious concerns surrounding Real ID and help make sure states are able to meet requirements.

DHS has agreed to:

- Allow states to request a deadline extension through December 31, 2009. This will give states at least two years from the date the regulations are finalized to implement the new rules.

- Invite the members of the proposed committee to provide oral comments on the regulations once they are issued.

Congress passed the Real ID Act as part of an emergency supplemental spending bill on May 11, 2005. Under the Real ID law, the features of state-issued driver's licenses, as well as driver's license issuing procedures, must adhere to a set of national standards. Collins and Cantwell offered their proposal as an amendment to Senate Bill 4, a package aimed at implementing the remaining 9/11 Commission recommendations.

http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=26994