The More You Know...#4

Wash. to pilot biometric card:
Project with DHS to test license that could meet Real ID and passport card standards

Wilson P. Dizard III of Government Computer News has posted an article about Washington state's plan to pilot the REAL ID Card.

The debate over biometric credentials has moved into new territory now that Washington state and the Homeland Security Department have agreed to pilot a secure biometric driver’s license that also would serve as proof of citizenship at border crossings....

The pilot would create a license that is compliant with the controversial Real ID program and could be used as a passport in some situations.

State and federal lawmakers, as well as the National Governors Association, have blasted the federal Real ID program, which is aimed at fostering secure biometric driver’s licenses that also would serve as proof of citizenship or legal residence. Various states have threatened to opt out of the supposedly voluntary Real ID program, and Maine and Idaho have done so.

There's a lot of information in this article about the REAL ID Act and the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative):

Beginning in January 2008, WHTI rules will require that returning citizens show secure biometric credentials at the land borders, ending a longstanding practice under which immigration officials accepted as many as 8,000 different types of documents or, in some cases, no ID at all.

That pending WHTI requirement has prompted outcries from border state lawmakers who charge that it will be a costly burden on their constituents and hamper travel and trade.

The U.S.'s determination to track its citizens is evident in various aspects of American life.

Check out the article here.