With LePage's signature, Maine Real ID bill becomes law
Courtesy / Office of Sen. Bill Diamond
Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, on the floor of the Maine Senate in Augusta. Diamond has sponsored a bill, LD 306, that is intended to put Maine in compliance with federal Real ID requirements. The Maine bill has been approved by both houses of Maine's Legislature and now awaits Gov. Paul LePage's signature to become law.
Gov. Paul R. LePage today signed “An Act To Require State Compliance with federal Real ID guidelines,” which will place Maine in compliance with the federal Real ID law. Maine had been one of only four states that were not in compliance with Real ID.
“It is in the best interest of Mainers for state officials to unite in going forward with REAL ID implementation," LePage said in a news release. "As we work on this process, we have been reassured Maine will be extended a waiver to allow residents to continue using non-compliant ID cards beyond January 2018. I want to thank Sen. Bill Diamond for advocating for this comprehensive bill that aims to better safeguard all Mainers and meet federal security standards.”
LePage's signing came as no surprise, since he consistently expressed support for the measure as it made its way through the Legislature this session.
The Maine Senate on Tuesday enacted legislation by Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, to bring Maine into compliance with federal Real ID standards, thus ensuring Mainers’ unrestricted travel rights.
Having previously been enacted by the House of Representatives.
The bill’s enactment ends a decade-old policy in Maine prohibiting the Secretary of State from complying with the federal Real ID Act of 2005, which required additional security features and protocols in the issuance of state identification cards and driver’s licenses.
In January, the federal government initiated preliminary enforcement steps against Maine and other states that were in noncompliance with the federal Real ID law — which prevented Mainers from using their state driver’s licenses and ID cards to access federal facilities. That included veterans who missed medical appointments as they were turned away from Veterans Administration Hospitals, according to a news release from the Senate Democratic Office. Firefighters and police officers also had been stymied in efforts to obtain federal certifications.
Continued noncompliance threatened to create greater problems for Mainers, starting in January 2018, when the federal government stated the Transportation Security Administration would not allow non-compliant state IDs to be used for boarding on domestic flights.
“Passage of this bill will guarantee Mainers have the same ability to come and go as the please that any other United States citizen enjoys,” Diamond said in the news release. “In my communication with the Department of Homeland Security, I’ve been assured that passage of this law will end these punitive enforcement actions and free Maine veterans and other residents to go about their business. People expect their elected officials to solve the problems they face. This law avoids a bureaucratic nightmare that would have brought normal life in Maine to a grinding halt.”
The bill was amended by the Legislature to include a provision giving Mainers the option to “opt out” of Real ID-compliant licenses. Those who opted out would still be credentialed to drive, but their IDs would continue to be deemed illegitimate by federal authorities.
Mainers who opt out would be required to obtain a U.S. passport or some other form of identification recognized by the federal government as compliant with the Real ID Act in order to access federal properties or board flights.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to bring it up to date with Gov. Paul LePage's signing of the bill into law on Friday, April 28.
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