Missouri Senate Passes REAL ID Legislation
JEFFERSON CITY — Early Wednesday morning, the Missouri Senate passed an amended House Bill 151 with only three days left of the First Regular Session of the 99th General Assembly. Passed by Congress, the REAL ID Act of 2005 requires that driver’s licenses and other state IDs meet certain federal standards by a specific time, which is currently January 2018. Without REAL ID legislation, people will not be able to use their Missouri state IDs as valid forms of identification needed to fly, enter some federal buildings or go on military bases without an escort.
“It was important for us to pass this bill so people not only in my district but also throughout the state can continue to enjoy access to travel via airplanes as well as to military installations and federal buildings that are widely used,” said Senator Denny Hoskins, R-Johnson. “By virtue of the fact that Whiteman Air Force Base is located in my district, this piece of legislation has been particularly important to me. This much-needed legislation will allow people to visit the base after January of next year without placing financial and temporal burdens on them that come with purchasing a passport.”
Because of privacy concerns raised in both the House and the Senate, the bill’s provisions afford a Missouri resident the option to get a compliant or non-compliant form of state identification. A Missouri resident, however, would still need either a compliant form, U.S. passport or other form of federal ID to board commercial airplanes and enter some federal facilities.
Senator Hoskins recognized the state’s balance of both invasion-of-privacy concerns and the need for people to fly and enter freely, “This bill is for those concerned about privacy and for those who do not want to have to go through the process of getting a passport. Too often bureaucrats and political leaders leave us with few choices. One thing this bill does is recognize the need for Missourians to decide whether they want to carry around a REAL ID.”
Moreover, the bill would make it unlawful to disclose information gathered by the state’s compliance with the REAL ID Act and prohibit the Department of Revenue from implanting a radio frequency identification chip in the state ID.
The bill will return to the House for consideration of the Senate amendments and is positioned to be sent to the governor for approval by week’s end.
For information about Sen. Hoskins, please visit his official Missouri Senate website at https://www.senate.mo.gov/mem21/.