DHS secretary says Real ID should be scrapped
Friday, April 24, 2009
U.S. Department of Homeland secretary Janet Napolitano said she hopes to work with governors to "find a way to repeal Real ID," the controversial law requiring states to upgrade driver's licenses to prevent fraud.
"We’ve been, over the last weeks, meeting with governors of both parties to look at a way to repeal Real ID and substitute something else that accomplishes some of the same goals," Napolitano said.
The law is based on a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission, which found that the September 11 hijackers had obtained 30 pieces of state identification.
The Real ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 and went into effect last year, but many states have opposed implementing the requirements of the law, due to cost and other concerns.
The American Civil Liberties Union released a scorecard last January on the law's impact on privacy and convenience for individuals that must comply with the new rules for everything from change of address notifications to legal immigrants without a passport.
The ACLU gave the DHS a failing grade on 32 out of 56 issues listed.
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