BACKGROUND

On May 10, 2005, President Bush signed into law the REAL ID Act, a
sweeping measure that will establish new identification requirements
across the United States. The legislation mandates federal
identification standards and requires states DMVs, which have become
the targets of identity thieves, to collect sensitive personal
information. Lawmakers in both parties urged debate on REAL ID and
more than 600 organizations opposed the legislation. Moreover, the
legislation passed at a time of growing concern about identity theft
and the reliability of new hi-tech identification.