Posted: | October 26, 2016 03:58 PM |
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From: | Senator Kim L. Ward |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Repeal of the REAL ID Nonparticipation Act |
I am introducing legislation to repeal the REAL ID Nonparticipation Act, which prohibits the Commonwealth from complying with the Federal REAL ID Act. As you are probably aware, Pennsylvanians are now facing two deadlines for changes that will cause significant inconvenience and impediments for those who do not have a United States passport. Starting January 30, 2017, federal agencies will be prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards issued by Pennsylvania. On January 22, 2018, Pennsylvanians over age 18 will need a passport to travel on any commercial airplane. We, the General Assembly, overwhelmingly passed Act 38 in 2012 to address several concerns with REAL ID at the time. Many of these concerns may not be valid today considering the Federal REAL ID Act requires states to adopt and institute 38 specific standards to come into compliance and Pennsylvania currently meets 32 of them. The only provisions PENNDOT still needs to institute in order to comply with REAL ID are the following:
The USDHS has indicated in a letter to PENNDOT an extension for Pennsylvania may be granted “if there are new developments or additional information regarding your jurisdiction’s progress towards meeting outstanding requirements,” which consideration of a repeal of Act 38 could be. Given the monumental inconvenience non-compliance will have on many of our constituents, the level of compliance PENNDOT already has with REAL ID, and the few outstanding issues that remain, I believe it is now necessary for the General Assembly to give thoughtful reconsideration of Act 38. My legislation would repeal Act 38 of 2012, require PENNDOT to apply to the USDHS for an extension, and ultimately move Pennsylvania into compliance with the Federal REAL ID Act. |