From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:”
The federal Department of Homeland Security says it’s done waiting for Pennsylvania and five other states to comply with 11-year-old changes in federal ID requirements.
Beginning Jan. 30, residents of those states won’t be able to use their driver’s license to enter federal facilities, Homeland Security officials said in a letter to the state Department of Transportation released Thursday. The only exception will be for residents who want to enter federal facilities to apply for such things as Social Security or veteran’s benefits.
And a year later, residents won’t be able to use their driver’s license as ID to board commercial flights, either. They would have to find another acceptable form or ID, such as a valid passport or other federally issued identification, including a military ID or border-crossing card.
At issue is compliance with the REAL ID Act of 2005, a law passed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to improve security. The act requires states to issue licenses with anti-counterfeiting provisions and store photographs and other information in a database that federal officials could use.
But critics say the law has two problems: It establishes what amounts to a national ID card, which they consider an intrusion on privacy, and it is an unfunded federal mandate. In Pennsylvania, which has issued about 9 million driver’s licenses and another 1.4 million photo ID cards, officials estimated five years ago that it could cost $250 million to $300 million to replace those licenses.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which issues driver’s licenses, has made some changes to meet the federal standards. But a 2011 state law prohibits it from complying with other provisions, said department spokesman Rich Kirkpatrick.
“It’s a tough situation right now,” Mr. Kirkpatrick said. “That will be a pretty real burden on people if they can’t use their license to get through airport security. We’ve done everything we can do under state law.”
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More at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2016/10/13/State-s-non-compliance-with-federal-ID-laws-could-mean-problems-for-travelers/stories/201610130203
