March 29, 2017
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation /for PhillyVoice
A Pennsylvania driver's license sample.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are pressing forward with legislation as the deadline for the state to comply with new federal security standards quickly approaches.
On Wednesday, the state Senate passed the bill which would allow the Department of Transportation to begin the process of issuing driver's licenses and identification cards that meet new federal safety measures.
Senate Bill 133, which passed by a 46-2 vote, calls for PennDOT officials to request the Department of Homeland Security for an extension to meet REAL ID Act provisions and repeal a state law preventing compliance.
DHS officials already granted the state a five-month extension in January when Gov. Tom Wolf and state legislative leaders filed a previous request. The existing deadline is currently June 5.
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 by Congress to establish federal security standards for state-issued ID cards. Pennsylvanians will face obstacles accessing federal buildings and using air travel if lawmakers are unable to address the issue.
Beginning June 7, individuals without valid forms of identification would be barred from federal buildings. In 2018, TSA will force flyers to present another valid form of ID to board flights.
State Sen. Kim Ward, the bill's primary sponsor, said residents will have the option of whether to get a Real ID or not. The cost of implementing the bill is estimated to be $67 million over two years.
Pennsylvania is one of several states to decline to update the process of issuing IDs to comply with federal standards. In 2012, lawmakers overwhelmingly passed Act 38, which explicitly prohibited the state from meeting with REAL ID requirements.
The bill will now move to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
Both Wolf and state legislative leaders have publicly supported the effort to ensure a bill is passed in time.
