By Alice Lipowicz
The Real ID Act of 2005 could be one of the biggest opportunities for upgrading government identification cards. It requires states to eventually replace all existing driver's licenses with new credentials that conform to national standards and link to a nationwide system.
Governors have been asking Congress to fund the mandate, which could cost $11 billion. Meanwhile, the Homeland Security Department is preparing to issue long-awaited regulations to implement the act. Although DHS maintains that strengthening controls on driver's licenses is necessary to prevent terrorists from obtaining fraudulent IDs, critics have raised concerns about the possibilities of lost privacy and identity theft. DHS' top official for developing the Real ID requirements is Richard Barth, who was appointed assistant secretary of the Office of Policy Development in August 2006. He is responsible for coordinating policy among DHS entities, state and federal agencies, and foreign governments.
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Q: What is the system design for how Real ID information will be shared among states? Will it follow the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators' model for commercial driver's licenses? Computer experts say that if that is the case, it will, in effect, be a national database and national ID program.
Barth: DHS is evaluating the AAMVA model for commercial driver's licenses as a basis for Real ID. The Commercial Driver's License Information System has been operating for years without any documented incidence of abuse or misuse. CDLIS maintains the limited data needed to point to commercial driver's records, which remain, as always, in state DMV databases. If Real ID decides to use CDLIS as a model, DHS will ensure that the security and privacy protections already built into CDLIS will be enhanced to protect the public.
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