ST. PAUL – The Minnesota House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation which would allow Minnesotans to obtain an ID which complies with increased federal standards for such purposes as boarding commercial flights.
Without a change in state law, standard Minnesota driver’s licenses will no longer be acceptable for boarding planes as soon as January of 2018. Minnesota is one of only a few states which remains out of compliance to the new standards.
The House’s proposal (H.F. 3) features a two-path approach which allows people who want a Real ID to receive one, while also providing citizens the ability to abstain.
“The goal all along has been in finding a solution where citizens are able to comply with Real ID, while also providing a means of opting out for those who do not want to participate,” said Rep. Matt Bliss, R-Pennington. “That’s exactly what we are accomplishing with this bill. Those who want a Real ID can get one. Those who do not want a Real ID do not need to get one and could continue using the state’s standard ID that’s available today.”
Real ID is a federal law passed in 2005 with the goal to make it more difficult for potential terrorists to obtain fake identification cards by setting standards that states must meet for their driver’s licenses. Some federal facilities, including military bases, have already began to require those without compliant licenses to provide passports or other documentation in order to be admitted.
The House passed the bill 72-58. The Senate version (S.F. 166) is making its way through the committee process.
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