Pennsylvania Governor To Sign Bill To Comply With Federal Real ID Law
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Pennsylvania is closer to complying with a federal law that requires people to prove they are legal U.S. residents in order for their driver's licenses to be valid for federal purposes.
The state Senate voted Tuesday 49-1 to approve a bill directing state government to comply with the 2005 Real ID law. The bill still requires House approval.
Federal Authorities Give Pennsylvania 4 More Months To Comply With Real ID Law
Gov. Tom Wolf says he will sign the Senate bill and is "hopeful it will reach my desk in its current form."
"This bill achieves the primary goal of allowing Pennsylvania commuters and businesses to avoid disruptions related to noncompliance," Wolf said in a statement. "Once the 2012 noncompliance law is repealed, PennDOT can begin working with the federal government to update its systems to complete compliance. We will work diligently to ensure the process is as consumer friendly and affordable as possible."
This bill will allow PA to comply with #REALID. Hopeful it will reach my desk in its current form. https://t.co/t06KRkJORi
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) May 24, 2017
Residents wouldn't be forced to obtain a so-called Real ID, and the bill would allow the Department of Transportation to continue producing driver's licenses and photo identification cards that don't meet the heightened standard.
Pennsylvania Driver's License No Longer Valid For Airplane Travel In 2018
Pennsylvania faces a June 6 deadline to become compliant for Pennsylvania licenses to be sufficient to get into federal facilities, such as military bases. Next year, Real ID's heightened standards kick in for people boarding commercial airliners.
About half the states are compliant.
(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)