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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The REAL ID Act of 2005, passed by the United States |
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Congress as part of comprehensive homeland security legislation, |
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imposes stringent federal standards for the issuance of new state |
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driver's licenses and identification (ID) cards that will be |
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required to board an airplane or enter a federal building beginning |
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in 2013; according to an impact analysis by the National Governor's |
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Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the |
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American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, these |
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standards will cost the 50 states an estimated $11 billion over five |
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years; and |
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WHEREAS, This price tag includes $8.48 billion to comply with |
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provisions of the act requiring driver's license/ID card holders to |
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present original ID documents in person for verification before a |
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REAL ID-compliant license or card can be issued and $2.53 billion |
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for independent verification of each ID document with its issuing |
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agency and incorporation of required security features into the |
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design of the new licenses and ID cards; and |
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WHEREAS, These federal requirements oblige the State of Texas |
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to verify and reissue more than 18.5 million driver's licenses and |
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ID cards, prompting the Texas Department of Public Safety to |
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request $268.7 million for the 2008-2009 biennium to hire 737 new |
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full-time employees, open additional driver's license offices, |
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update card design and technology, and otherwise implement the REAL |
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ID Act; the agency expects ongoing REAL ID expenses to be $101.3 |
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million per year; and |
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WHEREAS, To meet these financial demands the Legislative |
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Budget Board recommends increasing driver's license and ID card |
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application and renewal fees up to $15 above current amounts to |
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generate enough revenue to cover ongoing costs of the REAL ID Act |
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that will not be funded by the federal government; and |
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WHEREAS, Clearly, the $40 million total congress has |
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appropriated to help the states comply with the REAL ID Act is |
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insufficient, and before Texas is forced to increase the price of |
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its driver's license or ID card by nearly 63 percent, congress |
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should act to provide the necessary funds to meet the objectives of |
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this important legislation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby urge the Congress of the United States to fund the REAL ID |
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Act of 2005; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |