HARRISBURG, Pa. — A letter signed by 116 lawmakers asks Trump to work with the states and the U.S. Congress to help resolve some of the issues that the Real ID Act has raised, including the high cost.
Lawmakers argue that the Real ID Act takes away the state’s power to institute their own driver’s license regulations. The National Conference of State Legislators estimated that REAL ID implementation will cost as much as $11 billion over 5 years nationwide. PennDOT has already received $5.4 million in federal grants to assist with REAL ID requirements. The letter also points out that the law “creates a national identity registry by requiring the personal data of every person with an ID to be available to each state and U.S. territory. Accessibility to such personal data could increase the potential for fraud and identity theft.”
Pennsylvania is one of the states that have not complied with the Real ID Act. Federal authorities have given Pennsylvania until June 6 to comply with the law. After June 6 citizens will not be able to use their driver’s license to access nuclear power plants, military bases and secure federal buildings. Starting Jan. 22, 2018 Pennsylvanians will not be able to use their license to get through airport security, unless the Real ID standards are met.
