Government Technology - April 2008 - (Page 33)

EASY BY P AT R IC K M IC H EL S | C O NT RI BUT I NG WRI TER RFID-ENABLED DRIVERS’ LICENSES HELP WASHINGTON STATE RESIDENTS CROSS THE CANADIAN BORDER QUICKLY, WITHOUT COMPROMISING FEDERAL SECURITY STANDARDS. SINCE EARLY THIS YEAR AMERICAN DRIVERS RETURNING HOME ACROSS THE UNITED STATES-CANADA BORDER have been required to show a passport every time they pass. In Washington state, though, ofﬁcials have given their residents another ticket across the border: an Enhanced Driver License (EDL) that meets new federal requirements for proof of citizenship. With extra security features and a radio-frequency identiﬁcation (RFID) tag that’s read remotely as drivers approach the border, the state license lets Washington residents re-enter the United States by land and sea at a fraction of the cost of a passport, and without carrying extra paperwork, making for a quick trip across the border into British Columbia. From a management standpoint, the project is remarkable not only for its quick turnaround from early planning to issuance of the new licenses, but also for the close cooperation between state, federal and Canadian agencies. Over an 18-month period, at a project cost of $8.5 million, Washington state developed the nation’s ﬁrst state license that’s also approved for land and sea border crossings, said Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) Spokeswoman Gigi Zenk. The EDL is a model for similar programs in a few other states, some of which plan to roll out their own EDL programs in mid-2008, according to ofﬁcials at the Washington DOL and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Maintaining a Smooth Crossing Until February 2008, American drivers returning to the United States could re-enter with a driver’s license or other government-issued photo identiﬁcation. The long-anticipated change requires printed proof of citizenship — even for children — for re-entry into the United States by land or sea. The change is just one piece of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a blanket policy change Congress enacted in 2004 in response to border security concerns raised by the 9/11 Commission, according to the DHS. The deadline for the proof-of-citizenship requirement has been pushed back repeatedly in recent years, with passport ofﬁces around the country struggling to keep up with spiking demand for new passports. The new law is expected to tighten security along the United States-Canada border, but many are concerned the inconvenience of carrying the necessary documents — such as passports or birth certiﬁcates — and the $97 application fee for a new passport ($82 for children under age16) will complicate what had been a simple border crossing. 33

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - April 2008

Government Technology - April 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Scene Four Questions for... Freeze Frame How Safe Is Your Data? Easy Street Gadget Overload Indiana Overhaul First Person: A Better Bill Data Defense Strength in Numbers Public Storage Products Two Cents Spectrum Personal Computing signal:noise

Government Technology - April 2008

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