Our Voice: State lawmakers must act on REAL ID

This is the session lawmakers had better get real about bringing Washington into compliance with federal identification requirements.

The Legislature has continued to kick the issue forward year after year, but that can’t happen any more.

The federal government denied the state’s last request for an extension, and now the target date for compliance is January 2018.

That’s when those wishing to board domestic flights must have documentation proving their U.S. legal residency, and a standard Washington driver’s license won’t be accepted on its own.

The REAL ID Act is a 2005 federal law that requires tougher federal standards for issuing driver’s licenses and state identification cards. The law is designed to better document proof of U.S. citizenship, and help thwart potential terrorist activities.

Washington is the only state in the country that does not require proof of legal U.S. residency to get a standard state driver’s license or ID card.

However, the state does offer an enhanced driver’s license that meets federal standards. That’s because residents must bring proof of legal U.S. residency with them when they apply for it.

A proposal in the Legislature would strengthen the two-tiered driver’s license system in our state, and magnify the difference between the two.

Senate Bill 5008 and House Bill 1041 would require that all standard Washington drivers’ licenses be clearly marked — with a unique color or design — indicating that they do not comply with the REAL ID Act.

The bills have been introduced by the leaders of the Senate and House transportation committees — Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, and Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island.

According to a news release on King’s website, the bills are a bipartisan effort and offer an “equitable solution” to the state’s need to comply with the federal mandate.

The proposed legislation also would lower the cost of enhanced IDs from $108 to $90 for four years. The fee for a standard license would remain unchanged at $54.

It costs $9 per year to upgrade from a standard to an enhanced driver’s license for the time remaining on your license.

The downside to the proposed legislation, aside from the cost, is that there is a risk that the standard driver’s license would appear second-rate. It will still allow residents to legally drive, but it potentially could be used as a way to flag people who live here illegally.

The Department of Homeland Security, however, has cautioned against making such assumptions.

There can be several reasons why someone would choose to have a standard license, and those reasons may have nothing to do with legal citizenship, according the Homeland Security website.

For instance, people with passports may decide to skip the hassle of applying for an enhanced driver’s license because their passports meet REAL ID requirements, and can be used instead.

The bills proposed by King and Clibborn were developed with bipartisan support, and that is promising.

It is not an ideal fix, but considering we are out of time, it is the best solution we have for now. Lawmakers should see this legislation through.

This story was originally published January 24, 2017 at 4:32 AM with the headline "Our Voice: State lawmakers must act on REAL ID."