Real identification act requirements for state-issued drivers' licenses and identification cards a policy analysis

摘要

State issued driver's licenses and identification (DL/ID) cards are commonly accepted in the U.S. as a valid form of identification, and once obtained allow the holder access to move about the country legally. In order to prevent terrorists from illegally obtaining state issued DL/ID cards the 9/11 commission recommended the federal government establish national standards for the state issuance of DL/ID cards. The federal government responded to this recommendation by implementing the Real Id Act of 2005 (RIDA). The act establishes minimum standards for the issuance of state issued DL/ID cards. After reviewing the Act, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) made the following four key recommendations needed to successfully implement the law: 1) Ensure that document verification systems are available nationally, 2) Allow states to adopt up to a ten year reenrollment process, 3) Exempt certain populations from the RIDA process, and 4) Provide the necessary federal funding to comply with the law. Eugene Bardach's A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis provides an eightfold path to more effective problem solving. His model will be applied to assess the implementation of the Act and the four recommendations of the NCSL. Providing an analysis of the implementation of this policy from the federal government's perspective and the NCSL's perspective is essential in determining the best course of action for implementing RIDA. The policy implications scholars and decision makers derive from an analysis of RIDA are important for current and future U.S. Homeland Security policy decisions regarding identification security. This thesis will provide such an analysis.