ST. PAUL – The Minnesota House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation which would allow Minnesotans to obtain an ID which complies with increased federal standards for such purposes as boarding commercial flights.
Without a change in state law, standard Minnesota driver’s licenses will no longer be acceptable for boarding planes as soon as January of 2018. Minnesota is one of only a few states which remains out of compliance to the new standards.
The House’s proposal (H.F. 3) features a two-path approach which allows people who want a Real ID to receive one, while also providing citizens the ability to abstain by continuing to use the standard IDs available today.
“This is a bill that needed to be done and the goal was to make the best of the situation the federal government handed us,” said Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck. “We accomplished that by providing two options so people can decide for themselves. Those who want a Real ID card may receive one, but nobody is being forced into compliance.”
Real ID is a federal law passed in 2005 with the goal to make it more difficult for potential terrorists to obtain fake identification cards by setting standards that states must meet for their driver’s licenses. Some federal facilities, including military bases, have already began to require those without compliant licenses to provide passports or other documentation in order to be admitted.
The House passed the bill 72-58. The Senate version (S.F. 166) is making its way through the committee process.
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