By Ed Blazina / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
State legislative leaders and Gov. Tom Wolf have had discussions about the state’s noncompliance with federal REAL ID requirements, but it’s unlikely any action will occur before Pennsylvania residents can no longer use their driver’s license to get into federal facilities in February.
Whether changes will be made in state law to allow residents to use those licenses to get through airport security after Jan. 22, 2018, remains to be seen.
State officials said Friday they were aware of a letter received this week from the Department of Homeland Security that said the agency would not allow any more extensions to the 2005 law that set federal standards for acceptable ID cards in the wake of 9/11. The law requires states to incorporate anti-counterfeit technology into the card, verify the applicant's identity and conduct background checks for employees involved in issuing driver's licenses.
All of the information could be shared with Homeland Security.
Critics say the law creates an unfunded mandate for states and, in effect, establishes a national ID card, raising concerns about privacy. Pennsylvania and four other states — Maine, Kentucky, Oklahoma and South Carolina — received letters this week warning that Homeland Security would offer no more extensions...
Read more at:
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2016/10/15/Officials-says-Pa-unlikely-to-take-action-soon-on-driver-license-dispute-with-U-S/stories/201610150062
