ACTE Urges Repeal of REAL ID

May 05, 2008

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) urged the repeal of key sections of the REAL ID Act of 2005, in written testimony presented to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee last week. According to a statement issued by the association's Global Executive Director, Susan Gurley, ACTE then endorsed the proposed Identification Security Enhancement Act (S. 717) as a "realistic and reasonable alternative" to REAL ID.

The proposed enhanced identification program has sparked a battle between some state governments, which refuse to enforce the new national standards for driver licenses, and the Department of Homeland Security, which has required the new licenses for all air travel.

"The primary objective of any government security or identity program that impacts travel is to safeguard the lives and the livelihoods of travellers - while fostering confidence in the transportation network and the people entrusted with its protection," said Gurley. "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) REAL ID program falls short of these objectives."

Gurley's detailed the shortcomings of the REAL ID Act, saying it creates a dual standard of identification for U.S. citizens traveling domestically and storing sensitive drivers license data in a questionable manner that could place the U.S. travel network at risk through fraudulent documents.

"In an attempt to strengthen certain aspects of the states' drivers licensing program, the REAL ID Act inadvertently exposed these same systems to other weaknesses," commented Gurley. She also noted that state legislators and governors from California to New Hampshire were debating the effectiveness of the REAL ID Act, and that a substantial number did not support it. "Numerous security experts from around the country also questioned the degree of security promised by REAL ID, while expressing doubt that a massive new federal database would not be breached," she added.

ACTE's endorsed the Identification Security Enhancement Act by stating it offered tighter control over the drivers licensing process, without creating an additional federal identification document. According to Gurley, the proposed legislation adds enhanced security measures, including extended consideration for privacy laws enacted by the states, and provisions which prohibit the use of this enhanced identification by third parties. ACTE has been a longtime advocate of traveller redress and resolution in regard to data, and applauded the fact that the Identification Security Enhancement Act provides for due process.