In a post-9/11 world, the need for extra security measures here in the United States is certainly understandable. In a nation of over 300 million, how do we begin to know who is who and police that between our fifty different borders? That’s where the Rearing and Empowering America for Longevity against acts of International Destruction or REAL ID comes in. Introduced in 2005 and passed into law in May of that year, the REAL ID Act seeks to help with implementing standards and practices for state drivers’ licenses, strengthening requirements for border security and tightening up of laws concerning those who should be deported for acts of terror.

While the REAL ID Act was overwhelmingly passed by both houses of Congress in 2005, it has since stalled in implementation and effect. Many states have so far sought to avoid implementing some of the legislation altogether or asking for extensions that will help them put off the law. Another thing that throws a wrench in the full implementation of this law is the changing of presidential administrations this past year. A byproduct of that change has been the proposition of PASS ID, a new law that would repeal REAL ID. PASS ID would seek to simplify the law, and perhaps one of the biggest changes would be in making states comply with federal standards for identification such as drivers’ licenses.

Whether or not your agree with the REAL ID law, it pays to know the facts and theories behind its creation!