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The Real ID Repeal and Identification Security Enhancement Act was introduced last Friday in the House of Representatives. Proposed by Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee, the bill seeks to nullify the Real ID Act\u2019s remaking of states driver\u2019s licenses into national identity cards. Attached to an Iraq war\/ Tsunami relief supplemental bill, the Real ID Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005. The law, which requires that state driver\u2019s licenses and state ID cards be enhanced with features that will allow for the scanning of personal data, has been prohibited by fifteen states. Another ten states have passed resolutions opposing Real ID. Proponents state the controversial act is necessary for combating terrorism and fraud nationwide. Critics, however, contend that Real ID imposes significant costs for taxpayers, citizens, immigrants and state governments. They also say that it\u2019s invasive of people’s privacy and puts in place bureaucratic burdens for those who do not meet the inflexible verification requirements. <\/p>\n