Urging Congress to allow U.S. citizens to use REAL ID cards as a travel document for arrivals at land and sea ports-of-entry.

89(R) HCR 112 - Introduced version - Bill Text

89R13016 TBO-D

By: Perez of El Paso

H.C.R. No. 112

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, U.S. citizens who are entering the United States by

land or sea are currently required to present a passport or other

travel document that denotes identity and citizenship; and

WHEREAS, Travel documents for arrivals at land and sea

ports-of-entry must be compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel

Initiative, which was established in 2008 to strengthen border

security while facilitating entry into the United States for

U.S. citizens and legitimate international travelers; valid travel

documents include a U.S. passport or passport card, an enhanced

driver's license, an enhanced tribal card, Trusted Traveler Program

cards, U.S. military orders with a valid military ID, and a

U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential with an official travel letter;

and

WHEREAS, In 2005, the United States Congress passed the REAL

ID Act, which requires states to adopt and implement uniform

standards for the issuance and production of driver's licenses and

identification cards; under the law, states must obtain documentary

evidence of an applicant's lawful status, such as proof of

citizenship, before issuing a REAL ID; Texas has issued REAL ID

compliant cards since 2016, and beginning on May 7, 2025, only REAL

ID cards will be accepted for official federal government purposes,

including entering secure federal buildings or boarding domestic

flights; and

WHEREAS, As a result of the minimum issuance standards set by

the REAL ID Act, all REAL ID cards denote both identity and lawful

status; however, they are not yet recognized as compliant with the

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and they cannot be used to

validate entry to the United States at land and sea border crossing

points; and

WHEREAS, Each year, millions of travelers enter the United

States at the southern border of Texas, and many of them are

U.S. citizens who possess a REAL ID card; allowing those travelers

to use their REAL ID card as a travel document in lieu of a passport

would help to make the process of crossing the border more efficient

and convenient; and

WHEREAS, REAL ID cards serve as sufficient evidence of

identity and lawful status, and they should be included in the

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative's list of travel documents

that are accepted for entry into the United States; now, therefore,

be it

RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas

hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to allow

U.S. citizens to use REAL ID cards as a travel document for arrivals

at land and sea ports-of-entry; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official

copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to

the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of

Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the

members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that

this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a

memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.