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Pennsylvania is approaching a June 6 deadline to take steps to come into compliance with the federal Real ID Act or getting on a plane or entering federal facilities could become a big hassle.

(PennDOT)

Pennsylvania is on the clock to come into compliance with the federal Real ID Act or its residents could find themselves unable to board a plane or visit a federal facility using their state driver's license as their ID.

Lawmakers are working against a June 6 deadline to avoid those hassles.

The House State Government Committee on Monday voted 27-0 to pass an amended version of a Senate Real ID bill that creates a two-tiered system allowing people the option of obtaining a standard-issue driver's license/photo ID card or a Real ID-compliant card.

The full House is expected to vote on the bill as soon as Wednesday and send it back to the Senate for concurrence.

Gov. Tom Wolf said on Monday before the committee voted to amend the bill that he would sign it, which would give the state until October 2020 to get the two-tiered ID system up and running.

Afterward, Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott indicated the governor's support of the amended version of the bill is now wavering.

"The administration has concerns about the potential impact of the amendments put in place in committee," he said. "We are analyzing the amendments right now and will be communicating any concerns to the General Assembly. It is imperative the governor gets a bill to his desk that allows residents to access compliant IDs."

Among the House changes approved on a party-line 16-11 vote were:

A provision that requires the full cost of a Real ID license to be borne by those who choose to obtain one less any federal funding the state receives to implement this federal mandate.

A requirement for standard-issued driver's license to have clear markings to distinguish them from the Real ID-compliant cards.

A ban on the commonwealth compelling residents to obtain a Real ID-compliant card or enacting a law mandating one of these IDs for any reason.

Additional reporting requirements to monitor the Real ID's program's usage.

This approach to complying with the law is similar to ones adopted in other states that have won the federal government's blessing, said Rep. John Lawrence, R-Chester County.

It leaves it up to the individual to decide whether they need one of the more secure IDs that require a raised birth certificate and two forms of residency to obtain and will be more expensive than a standard-issue driver's license.

How much more? That remains unclear.

Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler County, said he tried to find out what the estimated cost would be from PennDOT but had no luck. Department officials told him a 2012 state law that declared Pennsylvania a non-participating Real ID state leaves them unable to communicate with the federal government about the Real ID Act.

That being the case, Metcalfe said, "We alleviated those concerns by ensuring the person receiving it pays for it and I think that's fair."

Attempts to contact PennDOT for information about the Real ID proposal were unsuccessful on Monday.

Rep. Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery County, along with the rest of the Democrats voted against the amendment. He said the most expedient way to meet the June 6 deadline would be to pass the Senate bill unamended.

He said the changes the committee approved creates potential hurdles to meeting that deadline. Namely, it raises a question as to whether the Senate will approve the more prescriptive changes that the House inserted or if the governor will sign it.

In addition, there is the question as to whether the U.S. Department of Homeland Security determines it brings the state into compliance with the Real ID Act. That law was recommended in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to standardize the issuance of driver's license as part of an overall effort to improve national security.

In states that have adopted a two-tiered approach like the one being proposed here, Metcalfe, R-Butler County, said only 20 to 30 percent of their drivers sought to purchase a Real ID.

He suggested either they didn't need to access federal facilities or travel by plane or they had some other forms of ID are acceptable. Those other forms of ID include a U.S. passport, military identification, and Department of Homeland Security-trusted cards such as Global Entry, among others.

But what was important to him and other Republican lawmakers is that not all drivers are forced to bear the cost associated with the more expensive ID.

"We have the opportunity to put the bill on the governor's desk that allows the administration to come into compliance," Metcalfe said. "It doesn't give the administration full rein to do everything that they willy-nilly want to do in a way that's gong to drive up cost for taxpayers."

*This post has been updated to include comments from Gov. Tom Wolf's spokesman about the amended version of the bill.