Lawmakers advocate REAL ID Act implementation delay

Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Lou Correa (D-CA) are urging Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf to delay the Oct. 1, 2020, REAL ID Act implementation deadline.

The three legislators encouraged the delayed action, citing the impact of COVID-19, the limited number of Americans with compliant identification, and the lack of contingency planning by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“While we recognize the administration’s commitment to ensuring the nation’s full compliance with the REAL ID Act, the challenges presented by the coronavirus outbreak and its impacts on the aviation industry must lead DHS to delay the October 1 implementation deadline,” the lawmakers expressed in a joint statement. “For implementation to go smoothly, DHS would need tens of millions of Americans to get new identifications over the next several months. Creating lines at Departments of Motor Vehicles would be foolish during a pandemic.”

DeFazio and Thompson were among a group of legislators who sought a detailed DHS contingency plan for potential disruptions at screening checkpoints but determined the agency’s response provided no clarity and focused on an unattainable goal of complete compliance.

If the deadline implementation is not delayed, on Oct. 1, 2020, every air traveler 18 years of age and older would need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification to board a commercial aircraft, enter federal buildings, and gain access to the premises of nuclear power plants within the country.