REAL ID's Around the Corner

REAL ID's are a nationwide effort intended to prevent terrorism, reduce fraud, and improve the reliability and accuracy of identification documents that State governments issue," according to the Department of Homeland Security website. The REAL ID Act passed by Congress in 2005 is supposed to enact in May of 2008, though many states, including California, have been granted an extension that expires in December of 2009. The REAL ID establishes Federal regulations that states must standardize into their state-issued driver's licences. According to the Final Rule of the REAL ID Act the standards include:

• Information and security features that must be incorporated into each card
• Application information to establish the identity and immigration status of an applicant before a card can be issued
• Physical security standards for facilities where driver's licenses
• Applicable identification cards are produced

After this deadline any regular state-issued driver's licences will not be accepted into Federal facilities, Federally-regulated commercial airplanes, and other similar Federal-regulated facilities.

Organizations at CSULB such as the Political Science Student Association wants students to write to their local legislators about these kinds of Federal regulations imposed on states, according to the Daily 49er. President of PSSA, Lindsay Nelson, displayed fear that the REAL ID Act could turn into a national identification card. "Contacting your representative is the easiest and best way of having a say in what your government is doing," Nelson said. "It's democracy at work."

*To write to your local representative for any reason go to congress.com to learn how to write an effective letter and it will also direct you to your local representative.*