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.