Legislation

Legislation plays a critical role in the adoption and implementation of identity technologies. Below are several links to legislation that currently impacts the identity solutions market.

  • REAL ID Act of 2005 – Set standards among the states for the US driver’s license.
  • Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 – Mandates the creation of national standards for driver’s licenses, airport perimeter security and Air Marshalls identification.
  • Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 – Mandates the creation of a watch list database. Mandates that the watch list database be made available to all agencies involved in determining the admissibility and the identification of aliens. Mandates the issuance of machine-readable, tamper-resistant travel documents with biometric identifiers and the installation of equipment and software capable of reading the new documents at all U.S. ports of entry by October 26, 2003.
  • Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 – Requires that all individuals piloting a vessel or accessing secure areas in a vessel or facility undergo a background check and receive a biometrically enabled identification card.
  • Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 – Established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Mandates background checks on all airport employees. Also mandates upgraded access control systems for secure areas at airports.
  • USA Patriot Act of 2001 – Expands government surveillance powers. Requires technology standard for tracking entry and exit of aliens. Requires fingerprinting of truck drivers of hazardous materials. Suggests the use of biometric technology to conduct background checks prior to issuance of visas.
  • Graham Leach Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999 – Mandates that financial institutions provide notice to consumers on the use of non-public personal information and an “opt-out” provision for the sharing of non-public personal information with third parties.
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 – Mandates standards and procedures to protect patient medical information among patients and health care insurers and providers.