Guest Post by Christian Hudson on the Psuedo National ID
Jun 14th, 2010 by David Anderson
Goodbye Delaware Driver’s License, hello National ID Card?
If a small group of Delaware legislators get their way, that’s exactly what will be happening in Delaware soon. Senator Bushweller (Democrat-Dover), has introduced Senate Bill 74 in the Senate (http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis145.nsf/4bda103fb759b88c852574480048a7ee/5e11d5c20173ad3385257583007a01a6?OpenDocument). The main sponsor in the House of Representatives is Representative Mitchell (Democrat-Wilmington). The bill was just recently released out of the Public Safety Committee with 5 Senators voting for it “On Its Merits.”
At first glance, Senate Bill 74 looks fairly innocent. The Official Synopsis of the bill makes it look like a simple legislative house-keeping bill, stating:
“This bill enables the Division to issue driver license and identification cards, when certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, acceptable for use by federal agencies for official purposes in accordance with Section 202(d)(11) of the Real ID Act and Title 6 CFR, Part 37.”
You have to actually dig into Title 6 CFR, Part 37 of the federal regulations to see what this bill actually does.
Basically if Senate Bill 74 were to pass, Delaware Driver’s Licenses would become obsolete and a new National Identification Card (or equivalent) would be issued to Delawareans instead. Why?
Evidently someone decided there are people out there that might have a fake ID. So instead of toughening the laws around having a fake ID, Senator Bushweller (Democrat-Dover), and Representative Mitchell (Democrat-Wilmington) have decided we should all be forced to have their new National Identification Card instead.
I decided to dig into the legalese of “Title 6 CFR, Party 37 of the federal regulations” to see what information this new National ID Card has, and why it’s so much better. For the most part, it has much the same information that is already included on your existing Delaware Driver License. Your full name, current address, license issue date, birth date, etc are already on your existing Driver’s License. There is one major exception though.
The other new information that would be required on your National Identification Card is called “Biometric Information.” I didn’t know what that term meant, so I looked up the definition. Wikipedia defines Biometric Information as:
“Biometrics comprises methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. In computer science in particular, biometrics is used as a form of identity access management and access control. It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under surveillance.”
Wikipedia goes on to further split Biometrics into two classes, but the only one that’s useful for a National Identification Card is the Physiological Class of Biometric Data:
“Physiological [is] related to the shape of the body. Examples include, but are not limited to fingerprint, face recognition, DNA, hand and palm geometry, iris recognition, and odor/scent.”
Exactly what kind of “Biometric Information” is this National Identification Card going to include? Instead of taking your picture when you renew your Drivers License, are they instead going to scan the irises in your eyes and take your fingerprints? There are other issues here as well.
The National Identification Card will have digital copies of your Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, Passport, and other documents digitally attached or embedded into the card. That is going to make this new National Identification Card a huge target for Identity Thieves. If all your information is stored in this new card, how easy is it going to be for a thief to then get a brand new credit card in your name?
It’s already a nightmare trying to prove your identity, and restore your life back to normal after someone has stolen your identity. Many times the credit card companies simply cannot prove who is the thief and who is the victim, and you never get all of your money back. Think about how much harder it’s going to be, if your Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, Passport, etc are already attached to this new card.
All of this information will be compiled and stored with the federal Department of Homeland Security, which has its own set of problems. Do we really want nameless, faceless bureaucrats in charge of a massive database of our personal (and even biometric) information? Just a few months ago the Department of Homeland Security announced that 958 computers had been lost or stolen (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/25/dhs-agencies-reportedly-lose-computers-fiscal-year/). Compared to walking into an office and stealing 958 computers, sneaking a few files out the door is pretty easy work.
If you have reservations about Delaware mandating a National Identification Card, I suggest you contact the sponsors of this bill.
The full list of sponsors for Senate Bill 74 are:
· Senator Bushweller (Democrat-Dover), (302) 744-4162, brian.bushweller@state.de.us
· Representative Mitchell (Democrat-Wilmington), (302) 744-4351, john.l.mitchell@state.de.us
· Representative Carson (Democrat-Smyrna), (302) 744-4113, william.carson@state.de.us
· Representative Hudson (Republican-Fairthorne), (302) 744-4171, Deborah.Hudson@state.de.us
· Representative Lavelle (Republican-Sharpley), (302) 744-4171, Greg.Lavelle@state.de.us
· Representative Ramone (Republican-Middle Run Valley), (302) 744-4108, Michael.Ramone@state.de.us
Best Regards,
Christian Hudson
The opinion expressed is that of the writer.
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The way I understand it, is that right now this is optional, that is as long as you have no intention of flying or going into a federal building anytime soon. The optional part of course will be droped once they realize a large section of the state can live without it. I liken it to the voluntary recycling bill. The legislators are always willing to give you a choice right up until you choose to not participate, then they make it mandatory.
This will also becaome a nightmare for some older people, since I believe there is a requirement for your “ORIGINAL” birth certificate.
Right, the biometric data insures that passengers on international flights, possible illegals, international fugitives, et al., are who they say they are.
Almost anyone today may be monitored 24/7, with or without the new card.
Bipartisan support for expanding government…where are the supporters of “small government”?
Vote Libertarian in 2010.
For what its worth, this post became part of Jud’s email news and received the following response.
Hello there! I wanted to clarify and calm any fears about the email you circulated over the weekend in reference to what is happening with the Delaware’s new driver licenses and ID cards. First off, Senate Bill 74 is dead – there has been no activity on this bill since June 2009 and there will be no further action on the bill – none is needed. The DMV has managed to implement the federal standards into the driver license and identification card issuance process administratively and with minimal changes. We will be launching these new changes statewide July 1, 2010. What we are implementing is not a national ID and there is no biometrics in the card – the only imbedded information in our cards is the same information that a person can read on the front of the driver license or identification card. That information is in the barcode as it is with our current driver licenses. We have refreshed the look of the driver license and ID card and made some changes to our issuance process at all our facilities. There are several new security features which are aimed at customer protection and greatly reducing the possibility of fraud.
Also, there is no national database that will contain the information that will be provided to the DE DMV when obtaining this document – all the provided information stays with the Delaware DMV as it does now. Finally, I want to make it perfectly clear that these new secure credentials are optional for Delaware citizens – although we highly recommend obtaining them, because without either a compliant driver license or ID card you will not be able to fly on a commercial aircraft or enter federal facilities (unless you have a passport) and it will ensure the utmost security from Identity Theft. Each compliant and non compliant driver license or ID card will be marked accordingly.
There are no extra costs for the new compliant driver licenses or ID cards and it only takes a one-time revalidation of your identity to obtain one – you will never need to go through this again unless something changes. You will need to bring your birth certificate, social security card, two proofs of Delaware residency, and any applicable immigration or citizenship documentation. For ACCURATE information and additional details on what Delaware is doing please visit our website @ SecureID.dmv.de.gov
Jennifer Cohan
Director
Division of Motor Vehicles
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