Thread: Support H.R.220 - Common Sense About Identity Theft & RE

Driver's licenses to feature radio chips
State introducing cards that encode personal information

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Posted: April 6, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern


By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire
The state of Washington announced a pilot project to introduce a driver's license "enhanced" with a radio frequency identification, or RFID, chip that would encode personal information and possibly serve as a passport-alternative if approved by the Department of Homeland Security.

Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill March 23 allowing Washington residents to apply for the $40 voluntary driver's license beginning in January.

Gregoire spokeswoman Kristin Jacobsen told WND in an e-mail the enhanced license is intended to be an alternative way of complying with theWestern Hemisphere Travel Initiative mandated by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

(Story continues below)


The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the Real ID Act, the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America all call for ID technology to be built into drivers' licenses, passports and other types of border-crossing identification.

Concerns are being expressed within the Department of Homeland Security, however, regarding the wisdom of applying RFID technology to human identification programs.

Under the WHTI, as of Jan. 23 all citizens of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico were required to present a valid passport, or some other federally accepted document, to enter or re-enter the U.S. by air travel.

As early as Jan. 1, 2008, these passport requirements will be extended to all citizens of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico who enter or re-enter the U.S. by land or sea, extending even to ferry travel.

The Department of Homeland Security is in the process of setting requirements regarding acceptable documentation and preparing to implement the passport requirements under the WHTI.

Jacobsen told WND the Washington state enhanced driver's license will require verified proof of citizenship, identity and residence.

"They will look similar to current licenses and ID cards," Jacobsen explained, "but will have an icon on the front that indicates the holder is a U.S. citizen."

The $40 fee for the RFID license is designed to be less than the cost to apply for a passport ($97 on initial application, plus $67 to renew every 15 years). Regular driver's licenses in Washington state cost $25 to renew every five years.

"The enhanced driver's license will cost significantly less than a passport, but will carry many of the same features," Jacobsen stressed. "Features will include an embedded technology that will allow for quick and effective identification checks at border crossings."

Naomi Elmer, a spokeswoman for DHS, confirmed to WND that DHS is working with Washington state on the RFID enhanced driver's license pilot test.

Yet, Elmer positioned the Washington initiative under the Real ID, not under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

"Currently we are working with Washington state because they came to us with a proposal to see if they could create an ID that would be acceptable for Real ID," she said.

"Right now, we are now fulfilling the congressional mandate proposing minimum standards for state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards that the federal agencies would accept for official purposes," Elmer said. "These requirements will go into effect after May 11, 2008."

Elmer acknowledged not all state drivers' licenses can be reissued by that date.

"DHS is permitting states to apply for and receive extensions up to Dec. 31, 2009," she said. "For the states that are receiving extensions, their drivers' licenses will need to meet our requirements by Jan. 1, 2010."

Elmer told WND that DHS is working with Washington state on its RFID-enhanced driver's license proposal.

"We are still working out the details with Washington state at this time," Elmer said

DHS has not yet approved Washington state's proposal, she noted.

Within DHS, there is controversy over whether RFID technology should be applied to ID cards.

On Dec. 6, 2006, the Data Privacy & Integrity Advisory Committee advised DHS against the use of RFID for human identity verification. Concerns over invasion of privacy and whether RFID information could be kept secure were primary considerations in the committee's recommendation that DHS proceed cautiously before implementing the program.

Elmer also told WND that Washington state's proposal had nothing to do with the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.

Under SPP, the "2005 Report to the Leaders" specified the SPP working groups have determined that "trusted travelers of North America" will be issued bio-metric border crossing passes, similar to the electronic measures being issued trucks and other commercial vehicles under the "trusted trader of North America" initiative.

The Real ID Act of 2005 was passed as Division B of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005.

DHS has issued proposed minimum standards for driver's licenses and identification cards under the Real ID Act.

Still, a move to reject the Real ID Act is gaining momentum at the grassroots level, with nearly half the states voting not to participate.

Idaho, Maine and Arkansas have passed state resolutions rejecting participation.

Other states – including Arizona, Georgia, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming – are considering similar legislation.

Bills rejecting Real ID also have been introduced in Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and West Virginia.

On March 2, the White House announced the requirements of the Real ID Act would be put off until the end of 2009, acknowledging widespread opposition to the measure.



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Previous stories:

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GOP star to get chip implant

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Dark side of supermarket 'savings cards'

Post-9/11 security fears usher in subdermal chips

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Concern over microchip implants




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Jerome R. Corsi is a staff writer for WND. He received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in political science in 1972 and has written many books and articles, including co-authoring with John O'Neill the No. 1 New York Times best-seller, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry." Corsi's most recent book was authored with Michael Evans: "Showdown with Nuclear Iran." Dr. Corsi's other recent books include "Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil," which he co-authored with WND columnist Craig. R. Smith, and "Atomic Iran."

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.a ... E_ID=55058

Published: April 05, 2007 11:55 pm

Out-of-state traffic violations will haunt Oklahoma drivers

It will be harder for a person moving to Oklahoma from out of state to hide traffic violations under new guidelines adopted by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.

New guidelines that have been mandated since last year will require the state to perform a national driver status check on any person seeking an initial, renewal or replacement driver’s license.

The state’s computers have just been programmed to comply with the requirements. Now, when a person applies for a driver’s license or a driver’s license renewal,suspensions, revocations or other issues involving the driving record anywhere in the United States will show up in a database.

This new regulation is another move toward setting up a national driver’s license system. There are pros and cons to having such a system.

The biggest fear, of course, is the creation of a national identity database and how that impacts privacy rights of individuals.

The positive part of such a program, however, is if a person’s driver’s license has been suspended or revoked in another state, he or she won’t be able to get a driver’s license in Oklahoma until that issue is resolved.

It also will force people to pay traffic violations issued in other states. These violators are called “drive-thrus.” They receive a ticket while passing through a state in which they don’t live and fail to take care of that violation.

With Congress passing the Real ID national identification act last year, it’s a certainty in the future more and more personal data about individuals will be stored and shared among states.


http://www.enidnews.com/opinion/local_s ... 35548.html

The bill also allows the state attorney general, with the approval of the governor, to challenge the legality or constitutionality of the act.

Alright!! Washington........now we're beginning to spark and sputter.

I'd like to see a resounding.......STICK IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE but this is a start

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

The bill also allows the state attorney general, with the approval of the governor, to challenge the legality or constitutionality of the act.

Alright!! Washington........now we're beginning to spark and sputter.

I'd like to see a resounding.......STICK IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE but this is a start

A small start, but a start indeed.

Real ID Takes the Slow Train to Certainty
US Will Have Until 2013 to Forget All About It
By Lucas Power
Posted: 04/08/2007


Not really the Real ID in real life. Really.




The Real ID Act of 2005 has its roots in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005. That mouthful of legislation is what polite company refers to as “a massive appropriations bill”. Think of it as the Super Wal*Mart of lawmaking; a sprawling, all encompassing property where everyone can find something to take home. Building on recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, the Real ID Act set forth minimum standards by which individual states issue a driver’s license or identification card. The standards were only recently released for a purely symbolic 60 day period of public scrutiny.

The DHS touts Real ID as a nationwide effort to prevent terrorism. By reducing fraud they claim to improve the reliability and accuracy of state issued documents. Real IDs would make sure everyone is who they say they are and that no one is a terrorist. The act requires that a Real ID driver’s license be used for “official purposes”. As defined by DHS, official purposes include accessing a Federal facility; boarding commercial aircraft; and entering nuclear power plants. There has also been talk of limiting access to certain bank accounts without the standardized ID. That’s just for now, though. DHS says they may consider expanding these official purposes through future rulemakings in order to maximize the security benefits of Real ID. In other words, the sky’s the limit.

Real ID has made some strong opponents since it was first suggested in legislation. Both the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, and the ACLU have been quite vocal regarding what they consider a de facto national ID card. State lawmakers have also voiced concern. Three states have passed legislation urging either additional privacy safeguards or total abandonment of the Real ID Act. Twenty other states are considering such legislation. Some critical points on the Real ID include requiring a verifiable permanent address. This feature creates a problem for citizens without a fixed address such as the homeless, or for victims of domestic violence.

While voicing privacy concerns, states have been more critical over cost than anything else. Full implementation is estimated to cost at least $28 million to start the program in South Carolina, then at least $10 million a year after that. The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates the cost to states will be more than $11 billion over five years. That is over one hundred times the original $100 million cost that Congress estimated. For 2006, $40 million was allocated for start-up costs. DHS has announced that up to 20 percent of a state’s Homeland Security Grant Program funds can be used to help implement Real ID during the 2007 grant cycle.

The money is needed to create new databases and computer systems with the ability to share information nationwide so states can verify identification. The new licenses would be made with a new system requiring DMV workers to undergo FBI background checks and get training for the equipment. There is also an increased cost to the citizens. The license would cost an estimated $60-$85. Apart from the jump in cost from around $25, Real IDs would mean mandatory presence at the DMV, as mail-in and web renewals would be suspended. A host of documents must then be provided and subsequently verified by DMV personnel to prove the applicant’s birth, address, and lawful status.

While the official regulations stipulate a machine readable technology, generally satisfied by a two-dimensional barcode containing a minimum of information, some states have taken “machine readable” to the next tier. With the full support of DHS, the state of Washington has begun testing radio-frequency identification chips in their cards. This technology, known as RFID is used primarily for tracking products with a retail space, for automatic collection of tolls, and for large groups of livestock. It has been used recently on passports as a way to authenticate identity for a variety of purposes, chief among them, making individuals suitable for travel to Canada, Mexico, and beyond.

Even DHS has been timid about using RFID, but one supposes that there are alternatives. The field of biometric authentication is broad. What someone can steal off of an RFID tag, they cannot steal in the way of fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, facial patterns and hand measurements. A few successful pilot programs could bring the technology into favor. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) supports a biometric ID card for curbing immigration. If all states had an ID card of the same caliber, he reasons, the government could provide a scanner to employers or providers of various services to verify the eligibility of the seeker. No card, no work.

At this point, the Social Security card is essentially a national ID card. No one will hire you without it, you can't get a bank account, cash a check, or get a driver's license without one. The mandates for a Social Security number far exceed its original intentions. Only, there's almost no one voicing protest against the widespread use of the Social Security card as an identifier. Clearly our society doesn't have a problem with providing a document to prove we are who we say we are. Is the problem then, having a document that is harder to forge?

Originally, the deadline for instating the new standards was May of 2008. The Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline until December 31, 2009. Even still, the full “phase-in period” for Real IDs isn’t until May 11, 2013. It is by this date that the act prohibits federal agencies and airlines from accepting any state-issued driver licenses or identification cards that do not meet minimum security requirements. States who currently oppose the Real ID have said Congress must decide an outcome if their concerns are not addressed and they remain in “opt-out” status by the 2013 deadline. It’s important to remember DHS doesn’t want to issue you a national ID card, but rather wants your state to issue a standardized card that will be accepted nationally, or as they put it “one driver, one record, one record of jurisdiction.” Papers, please?




http://pine-magazine.com/content.php?id=662

Washington, New Hampshire, South Carolina Oppose Real ID


OLYMPIA, WA-The Washington state legislature has passed a bill in a landslide to block implementation of the federal REAL ID Act. The action makes Washington the fourth state to pass legislation opposing the law, joining Maine, Idaho and Arkansas.

New Hampshire and South Carolina Legislatures also took action to oppose the REAL ID act last week, New Hampshire with a vote of 268-8.

"The overwhelming margin of Washington's vote shows how truly bipartisan the opposition is to REAL ID. It would threaten personal privacy, as well as create a bureaucratic nightmare to implement," said ACLU of Washington Legislative Director Jennifer Shaw.

The measure will prohibit state implementation of the REAL ID Act, unless the federal government fully funds it and provides stronger protections for the privacy of Washington drivers. Previously passed by the Senate, the measure was approved by the House by a 95-2 vote. Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano Island) is the bill's prime sponsor, and Senators Dan Swecker (R-Rochester) and Ed Murray (D-Seattle) are cosponsors.

Passed by Congress in 2005 in response to the 2001 terroist attacks, the REAL ID Act requires states to produce standardized driver's licenses and to store the drivers' information in nationally connected databases, creating a de facto national ID card. By placing personally identifiable information in databases accessible across the country, REAL ID makes the information more vulnerable to identity theft and misuse.

The law requires states to start issuing these licenses by Dec. 31, 2009, but it did not set aside funds to make that possible. In Washington, the net costs of implementing this new system would be approximately $50 million per year for the first five years, according to a survey by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

REAL ID has drawn opposition from organizations across the political spectrum, including the American Bar Association, the American Conservative Union, the Council of State Governments, Gun Owners of America, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Governors Association.

More information about REAL ID is available online at www.realnightmare.org 4-08-07


http://www.northcountrygazette.org/arti ... ppose.html

At this point, the Social Security card is essentially a national ID card. No one will hire you without it, you can't get a bank account, cash a check, or get a driver's license without one. The mandates for a Social Security number far exceed its original intentions. Only, there's almost no one voicing protest against the widespread use of the Social Security card as an identifier. Clearly our society doesn't have a problem with providing a document to prove we are who we say we are.

Says who? I am among several million Americans who have a HUGE problem with universal identifiers like the Social Security Number. If the federal government wants to limit access to its own benefits and programs with the SSN, fine, but when it starts limiting my ability to engage in private business and travel it has crossed a serious line into tyranny and we can no longer claim to be a land of liberty.

Says who? I am among several million Americans who have a HUGE problem with universal identifiers like the Social Security Number. If the federal government wants to limit access to its own benefits and programs with the SSN, fine, but when it starts limiting my ability to engage in private business and travel it has crossed a serious line into tyranny and we can no longer claim to be a land of liberty.

You have that correct. I was listening to the radio today and how Wesley Snipes removed himself from the SS# and renounced his USA citizenship and now says he is a citizen of the U.S. which is different than the corporate run USA. I suppose that is why he is in such water with the IRS. He is fighting on the grounds right now that the District Court doesn’t have jurisdiction/authority over his case.

Interesting stuff.

More U.S. States Oppose Federal Real ID Act

In the New Hampshire statehouse last week, legislators sent a message to federal officials, voting 268 to 8 to bar the state from participating in the U.S. Real ID program. The bill will now go to the state senate and then the governor, who has already made his opinion clear. "I continue to have many concerns about Real ID, including the cost, the impact on the privacy of our citizens and the burden it will place on state government employees," Gov. John Lynch said in a statement. Legislators in four other states, Maine, Idaho, Washington and Arkansas, have also voted to oppose the act.

The Real ID act, passed in 2005, is designed to make driver’s licenses issued by states—and used as de facto ID cards in the United States—less susceptible to counterfeiting. The law also aims to set out more uniform rules on the documents people must provide to receive a license. An association of state governors has criticized the federal requirements; in large part because U.S. officials haven’t offered to fund the cost of the $11 billion cost of the program, in estimates cited by the association.

President George Bush had bowed to pressure from the governors and Congress and granted states until the end of 2009 to comply. The U.S. government declined to mandate that U.S. driver’s licenses be smart cards. However, the proposed driver’s license rules released in March by the U.S. government open the door for some border states to add smart card chips to their driver’s licenses to serve as border-crossing cards. (2007-04-09)


http://www.cardtechnology.com/article.h ... 097BJH12PP

Post-9-11 Fears Fuel Boom in High-Tech ID Business
Apr 09, 2007 By Dave Montgomery



The U.S. government's growing appetite for biometrics-based ID systems to bolster security, detect terrorists, fight crime and control illegal immigration is generating billions of dollars in opportunities for an evolving industry that's coming of age in the post-Sept. 11 era.

The growth of the identification industry also has spawned an aggressive push-back from privacy advocates against what they call an emerging "industrial surveillance complex."

Regardless of the perspective, few would deny that the expanding government market for more secure identification programs is laden with business potential.

Players range from big-name defense contractors to specialty firms largely unknown to the public. And the product line includes now-commonplace offerings that might have seemed possible only on an episode of "Star Trek" just a decade or so ago.

Video or audio scanners can identify individuals by facial features, voice or even the blood vessels in their eyes, matching the information against data stored in a secure computerized clearinghouse. Fingerprints are widely used for everything from firing up the computer to opening the office door.

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, accelerated the identification boom as high-tech companies stepped forward to supply a vast range of new security networks for transportation, government buildings, law enforcement and other venues.

After a shake-down period in which some hastily formed enterprises crashed and burned, the industry is beginning to mature and may be poised for years of steady growth, said Jeremy Grant of Stanford Washington Equity Research, a stock analyst who's conducted an extensive study of the industry.

At least 10 major U.S. government initiatives will generate more than $8 billion in business over the next five years, with overseas projects generating another $14 billion, Grant said.

The U.S. projects include issuing biometric cards to all 2 million federal workers as well as to federal contractors, and giving travelers preregistered "smart cards" to speed through airport security.

Perhaps the biggest customer is the Department of Homeland Security, the multi-agency bureaucracy that guards the borders and protects the home front from terrorism. Other big government markets include the Defense Department, the State Department and the FBI.


President Bush's call for overhauling the nation's immigration system also could generate more business for the industry if Congress reaches accord on the volatile issue. Most legislative proposals call for biometric cards and employee-verification databases to determine whether immigrants are legally entitled to be in the United States.

"That's a significant business opportunity for these companies," Grant said.


The American Civil Liberties Union and other privacy advocates are fighting to curtail the industry, saying biometric cards and centralized databases open the door to government snooping and do not offer foolproof protection from terrorists and criminals, even with recent technological advances.

"Decisions being made now are going to dramatically affect what our lives look like in the future," said Jim Harper, the director of information-policy studies at the Cato Institute, a Washington research center that urges limited government.

Industry executives say the privacy dangers are exaggerated and that companies follow rigid procedures to prevent the distribution of confidential information.

One privacy vs. security showdown centers on the REAL ID Act, which Congress enacted in 2005 to require tamperproof driver's licenses that would be available only to legal U.S. residents. More than two dozen states are considering legislation opposing the law, saying it would cost $11 billion to implement.


Industry executives say they're part of an industry with a bright future, made up of companies that offer differing sets of specialties. Some niche firms have been in business for less than five years, while others, such as defense giants Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, are expanding into the identification realm.

One of the bigger companies, Grant said, is L-1 Identity Systems of Stamford, Conn., which was formed by the merger of two other companies and is headed by Robert LaPenta, one of the founders of L-3 Communications.

Another established company is Digimarc, headquartered in Beaverton, Ore., whose systems have produced more than two-thirds of U.S. driver's licenses. Other players include Austin, Texas-based IndentiPHI, which is teamed with Dell Computers, and Cross Match Technologies of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., headed by James W. Ziglar, former commissioner of the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service.

"There's definitely a big space, a lot of growth going on," Grant said. "This is a classic growth industry right now. But not everybody's going to win."

http://www.govtech.net/digitalcommuniti ... ?id=104842