ASSEMBLYMEMBER PEDRO NAVA
35TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
For Immediate Release: March 11, 2008
Contact: John Mann
Phone: (805) 483-9808

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Pedro Nava, Chair of the Joint Committee on Emergency Services & Homeland Security and Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee introduced AJR 51, requesting that Congress scale back or repeal the federal Real ID Act of 2005.

"The Congress in 2005, without a hearing, without a reasoned analysis, without the regard to the needs of the traveling public, passed an ill-considered, expensive and onerous bill, the implications of which we are just now beginning to fully appreciate," said Nava.

The Real ID Act as passed by Congress threatens the ability of Californians to use their driver's licenses to board commercial aircraft and will cost the state more than 500 million dollars to implement.  The Act requires states to examine and store images of identification and residency documents of all driver's license applicants and all current licensees.  Residents of states that fail to take this action by 2014 will not be able to use their licenses for federal identification purposes, including the ability to pass through checkpoints at commercial airports.  As a result, licensees will need to make a personal visit to the DMV the next time they are up for renewal, rather than renewing their licenses by mail or over the internet.

"Having each and every renewal applicant show up at the DMV will be a real nightmare. The lines will be out the door,” said Nava.  “In a time of enormous budget deficits, it has been estimated that this new requirement will cost California as much as a half-billion dollars to administer. This is unacceptable and not feasible.”

California will join seventeen other states that have officially voiced their opposition to the Real ID Act as it is currently constituted.  It is estimated that the Act will cost 11 billion dollars to implement nationwide and more than 500 million dollars for the State of California. If AJR 51 is successful, the federal government will have not choice but to step back and take another look.