Deadline Looms
The final rule for REAL ID compliance provides the necessary guidance for states to begin building systems and linking networks to fulfill the mandates of the 2005 legislation, according to a newly released report by INPUT, provider of government procurement and market information. While states have until May 11 to declare their intention to comply with REAL ID, INPUT does not expect widespread resistance to derail the new approach.
“Compared to the proposed rule of last March, DHS has made a credible effort to reduce or eliminate Constitutional as well as procedural and technical barriers to REAL ID compliance in many areas of the final rule,” says Chris Dixon, manager, state and local industry analysis for INPUT. “The final rule should serve as a starting gun for vendors to begin working with states on compliance. Even if REAL ID were repealed in the next year or so, the concepts and approaches laid out in the final rule would still form the basis for an ongoing, generational overhaul of state drivers-licensing systems.”
With the release of the final rule for the REAL ID Act of 2005, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revised its approach from that of the Notice of Proposed Rule-making (NPRM) of March 3, 2007. A variety of deadline extensions have been granted at least in part to provide the federal government with additional time to prepare various databases for interface with the states. The REAL ID “Verification and Data Exchange Architecture” will leverage the American Association of Motor Vehicles Administrators’ AAMVAnet as the “hub” for several “federated querying systems.”
“Streamlining the source-document review and image-capture process will be essential to reducing the vast delays in processing of an estimated 240 million drivers,” Dixon says. “Backend record-keeping and integration of state systems with the various federal and multi-state backbone systems will be the primary IT concerns in the near term. States will need long-term vendor support in implementing FISMA-compliant security around DMV databases and facilities, as well as downstream vital records production and systems — especially birth certificates.”
According to INPUT’s analysis, the weakest link in the final rule concerns personal information included on the surface of — or embedded electronically in — the REAL ID card. While the final rule is defensible in these areas, controversies in this area are premised more on philosophy about the role of government than the specific technologies of REAL ID. If DHS and REAL ID-complying states do not address this issue head on, REAL ID will remain open to continued vigorous state and individual resistance based on fears of skimming and eventual incorporation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology into the card.
DHS Releases REAL ID Grant Guidance
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released grant guidance and application kits for two grant programs totaling more than $35 million to assist states in preparing for REAL ID implementation. REAL ID addresses a core 9/11 Commission finding to enhance the security, integrity and protection of licensing and identification systems nationwide, and was mandated by Congress.
“The 9/11 Commission stated unambiguously that for terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons,” says Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Too often bogus birth certificates and other documents have been used to unlawfully obtain a driver’s license, causing the American public to insist on greater identity protection. These funds will advance the ability of states to verify the legitimacy of documents that applicants present, and to confirm that the applicants are who they say they are.”
The REAL ID Demonstration Grant Program will provide $31.3 million for checking motor vehicle records in other states to ensure that drivers do not hold multiple licenses, and for verification against federal records like immigration status. This grant will help standardize methods by which states may seamlessly verify an applicant’s information with another state and deploy data and document verification capabilities that can be used by all states, while protecting personal identification information.
The REAL ID Vital Events Verification State Project Grant will provide $4 million to help verify birth certificates and other vital records. This funding complements a $3 million grant for a REAL ID Pilot Project awarded to Kentucky in fiscal year 2006 that tested unique software to improve identity verification capabilities. The additional $4 million will further support and expand the pilot program, allowing other states to acquire and benefit from this or similar software that verifies birth record information for individuals applying for a REAL ID driver’s license or ID card.
