ILLINOIS LICENSES, IDS NO LONGER CONSIDERED FEDERALLY COMPLIANT

ILLINOIS LICENSES, IDS NO LONGER CONSIDERED FEDERALLY COMPLIANT

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By Diane Pathieu
Updated 6 mins ago

CHICAGO (WLS) --
Soon, residents of Illinois and at least five other states may need more than just their driver's license to get through the airport security line.

The Illinois Secretary of State's Office got an email from Homeland Security officials informing them the state has been denied an extension on an exemption on the 2005 Real ID Act.

Consequently, soon residents will no longer be able to use only their driver's license or state ID to get into most federal facilities, including airports.

When the rules take effect, which is 120 days after Jan. 10, 2016, travelers can either bring their U.S. passports to pass through security or bring their state-issued identification or license and go through another, unspecified step.

"They may have to go through an extra measure of security that might be another line, or possibly being questioned at the airport," says David Druker, spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State.

The Real ID Act imposes tougher requirements for proof of legal U.S. residency in order for state driver's licenses to be valid for federal purposes. The law was passed in response to national security concerns after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

States originally were supposed to comply with the Real ID requirements by the end of 2009.

Federal authorities have repeatedly delayed implementation to give time for states to change their driver's license procedures and make the necessary technological improvements.

Meeting all of the requirements of the act will be a costly task.

"It does require legislation by the Illinois Assembly passed and signed by the governor and we're nowhere near doing that," says Druker.

"And there is a funding aspect; remember, this is an unfunded mandate from the federal government, so we're looking at close to $50 to $60 million from the state of Illinois."

Either way, for travelers it means one more think about before leaving for he airport.

"I do not understand why Chicago has to go through this extra step of security when we have two of the busiest airports in the country," says Lynn Norment.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said, "Illinois can request an extension at any time if there are new developments or additional relevant information regarding the steps they are taking to comply with the Real ID Act requirements."

The formal announcement of the new rules will be made on Jan. 10. The best advice right now to avoid any headache, is to get a passport if possible.

http://abc7chicago.com/travel/illino...liant/1134755/

Dayton says Real ID fix must be underway by end of April

Clock to start ticking soon, Gov. Mark Dayton says.
By Patrick Condon Star Tribune
DECEMBER 24, 2015 — 9:14AM

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GLEN STUBBE, STAR TRIBUNE

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said he and legislators would have until the end of April at the latest to move toward compliance with the federal Real ID requirement if they are to avoid disrupting airplane travel for some Minnesotans.More

Gov. Mark Dayton said Thursday that he and state lawmakers would have until the end of April at the latest to move toward compliance with the federal Real ID requirement if they are to avoid disrupting airplane travel for some Minnesotans.

A day earlier, the Department of Homeland Security had denied Dayton’s request for an extension to adhere to the new federal standard. Dayton said his office has been verbally told by Homeland Security officials that between now and Jan. 1, the federal agency will trigger a 120-day warning that the flight restrictions will be coming into affect.

At that point, Minnesotans without a passport or other federally certified IDs would be unable to board commercial domestic flights. Dayton reiterated his request that state lawmakers take up the compliance issue in a special legislative session that he wants to occur in January.

“This is not about people of one political view agreeing with people of another political view in Minnesota,” Dayton said.

“This is about all of us who have responsibility for enacting state laws and policies to satisfy the federal government.”

Already, people without sufficient federal identification are barred from entering certain federal facilities that are at least semi-accessible to the public, including military bases. The only facility in Minnesota that’s included on that list is the Whipple Federal Building near Fort Snelling, Dayton said.

The first step to fixing the problem, the governor said, is that lawmakers need to repeal a 2009 state law that was adopted specifically in opposition to the movement toward Real ID.

The federal law was born in the wake of security concerns raised by the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. By 2009, a number of Minnesota lawmakers raised concerns about civil liberty implications and the specter of government surveillance that can accompany a federally enforced identification requirement.

Under the 2009 law, the state commissioner of public safety is specifically prohibited from even discussing Real ID with officials from the federal government.

“It’s just an absurd imperative,” Dayton said.

Dayton said undoing that provision would send a signal to Homeland Security that Minnesota politicians are serious about coming into compliance, and he suggested the agency at that point would be more willing to grant an additional extension in order for the state to actually start processing new IDs and getting them into Minnesotans’ pockets.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security did not return a telephone call seeking comment. In a letter that Dayton’s office released Thursday, two assistant Homeland Security secretaries bluntly rejected the extension that was requested by both Dayton and, separately, by GOP House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, and a group of his colleagues.

Both Daudt and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, have indicated their support for making Minnesota compliant with Real ID.

But the two legislative leaders and Dayton have not yet reached agreement on a full agenda for Dayton’s desired January special session, in which he also wants lawmakers to extend unemployment benefits for laid-off workers on the Iron Range.

Dayton said that if they can’t reach accord on those two items, he would be willing to call a brief special session to specifically discuss the Real ID issue.

“I think it’s very important we send a message to the federal government that we are serious about this and we are going to bring ourselves into compliance,” he said.

But Dayton also acknowledged that waiting until the regular legislative session, which starts March 8, would still leave lawmakers with sufficient time to deal with the federal ID compliance issue then.

http://www.startribune.com/dayton-sa...ril/363412271/

Real ID licenses coming to Arizona

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Arizona MVD

Real ID licenses would differ from current ones, above.

December 20, 2015 7:54 pm • By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
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State given more time to meet Real ID requirements

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The new deadline is April 2016. Read more

Arizona seeks waiver to create its own secure driver's licenses

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State asks for a federal waiver to clear the way for optional Real ID-compliant driver's licenses. Read more

AZ Legislature approves Real ID driver's licenses

Bill authorizing optional Real ID compliant drivers license goes to governor for signature. Read more


PHOENIX — If your Arizona driver’s license expires April 1 or later, you’re going to have to decide whether you trust the federal government with your information.

And your decision will be emblazoned onto your license.

That’s essentially what’s going to happen when Arizona starts issuing licenses that comply with the federal Real ID Act.

Those are the documents that meet certain security and background standards that let you get on a commercial aircraft and enter certain federal buildings.

Unlike residents of some states, Arizonans don’t actually have to get one. State lawmakers voted earlier this year to make it voluntary.

But here’s the thing: The Real ID-compliant licenses for those who provide the additional documentation — and whose records are checked with federal databases — will look different than those who opt out.

Ryan Harding, spokesman for the state Motor Vehicle Division, said it’s not yet clear what notation will be on those licenses the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will honor.

But what is clear is that licenses that do not meet the federal standards will include the words “Not for Federal Identification” on the front.

Harding said that indication will have no immediate effect.
He said the arrangement his agency has with the Department of Homeland Security requires the federal government to honor all Arizona licenses through Sept. 30, 2020, for all purposes.

That includes both those licenses specifically marked as not for federal identification as well as those held by Arizonans still using licenses issued before April 1.

Come Oct. 1, 2020, though, anyone without a license containing specific markings as being compliant with the federal requirements won’t be able to get into certain government facilities. And forget about flying.

What’s behind all this is the Real ID Act of 2005. Passed in the wake of the attacks by terrorists who commandeered U.S. aircraft, it requires states to have licenses that comply with certain security requirements.

Nothing in the federal law can force Arizona to comply. And state legislators approved a measure in 2008 prohibiting the MVD from producing a Real ID-compliant license.

But some legislators became concerned earlier this year when Homeland Security said it will begin enforcing a key provision of that federal law in 2016, allowing people to board aircraft only if they first show an identification the agency has decided is “secure.” Arizona licenses are not.

That would leave Arizonans having to obtain a passport and carry it on all flights as the only other viable option.

Inconvenience aside, a passport costs $110 plus a $25 application fee; expedited consideration adds another $60.

So Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, crafted a measure requiring the MVD to create a license that meets the federal requirements — but not actually requiring any Arizonan to have it. And that gave the MVD the entree it needed to ask Homeland Security to delay the no-fly provision for non-compliant licenses.

Harding said the federal agency informed the MVD that Arizona will get that delay until 2020 if it has compliant licenses available by April 1.

In any event, at some point all Arizonans are going to have to decide whether to get a Real ID-compliant license or, for non-drivers, a state-issued identification card.

It starts with that question of Arizona sharing information with the feds.

It was then-Rep. Judy Burges, R-Skull Valley, now a state senator, and former Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, who spearheaded the original 2008 state ban on issuing such licenses. Johnson called the licenses an unwarranted intrusion into privacy, rejecting arguments the new licenses are necessary for security.

“If you want to give up your liberty for security, you’re going to end up with either one,” she said.

There was also the concern that the new licenses would be embedded with a radio-frequency-identification chip that could be read by nearby scanners.

“They could embed RFID readers in federal buildings and anywhere,” Burges said in opposition to the chips. “And they can, in essence, track you as a citizen everywhere you go.”

With that in mind, Worsley chose to sidestep the controversy: He put a provision into this year’s legislation specifically barring the use of RFID technology.

But there are other issues that may help Arizonans decide which kind of license they want.

One is cost.

The MVD says it is still trying to determine what surcharge, if any, to put on Real ID-compliant licenses. But licenses will cost more if for no other reason than they have to be renewed every eight years; regular licenses can be good until someone turns 65, though new photos have to be taken every 12 years.

There’s also what might be considered a hassle factor.

Applicants not only have to show up in person, but will have to produce some evidence of legal presence in this country that the federal government recognizes, like a birth certificate or passport.

Harding said the MVD will then be required to verify the information by linking to federal computers — the sharing of information that has bothered some legislators and led to making the enhanced licenses optional.

http://tucson.com/news/local/real-id...ae80f8741.html