Real ID Act Modification for Freely Associated States Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3398) to amend the Real ID Act of 2005 to permit Freely Associated States to meet identification requirements under such Act, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3398

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Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago, the United States solidified a unique international relationship by signing the Compact of Free Association with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Collectively, these three sovereign nations are referred to as the Freely Associated States.

Under the Compact of Free Association, citizens from the Freely Associated States can live, work, and study in the United States as legal nonimmigrants without a need for a visa.

In 2005, Congress enacted the Real ID Act, which enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation to set Federal standards for driver's license and other sources of identification. However, the Real ID Act of 2005 made no mention of the Freely Associated States or the compact. Instead, the law referred to ``the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,'' a now-defunct entity that ceased to exist in 1994. The former trusteeship predated the current self-governing status of Freely Associated States as established under the Compact of Free Association.

As a result of this error, citizens of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau are often forced to settle for temporary driver's licenses that expire after a year, costing these citizens access to work, housing, transportation, and other opportunities. Because some employers have been reluctant to hire or retain temporary-licensed carriers, many of these citizens lose access to work, housing, transportation, and other opportunities.

The omission also greatly disadvantages these citizens to other nonimmigrants who are able to obtain standard licenses lasting up to 8 years, if they meet the Real ID Act eligibility requirements.

H.R. 3398 corrects this drafting error in the Real ID Act. Fixing this error in the law clarifies the legal eligibility of the citizens of these three nations for full-term driver's licenses, honors the terms of our Compact of Free Association, and reaffirms our partnership with the three nations.

I would like to thank Representative Don Young, the gentleman from Alaska and my friend, for his work on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

(Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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