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Miracle of Bethlehem at St. Faustina

Pennsylvanians will soon learn their state-issued driver&#8217;s licenses and identification cards don&#8217;t carry the same weight they once did.Thanks to the REAL ID Act of 2005, Pennsylvania-issued driver&#8217;s licenses and ID cards will no longer be considered accepted forms of identification at most federal and federally licensed facilities, beginning Jan. 30, 2017.Included in those facilities are nuclear power plants such as the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station in Salem Township.On the other hand, federal courthouses or places individuals might visit to receive benefits, such as a Social Security office or the Veterans Administration, will not be affected by the new regulations.The intention of the REAL ID Act is to enhance the nation&#8217;s security by making it harder for terrorists to obtain state-issued identification documents.Participation was voluntary until 2016. Pennsylvania was one of five states that held out on complying with the act, which implemented federal standards for tamper-proof identification documents such as driver&#8217;s licenses. The state&#8217;s driver&#8217;s licences don&#8217;t comply with the act.Alexis Campbell, state Department of Transportation community relations coordinator, said a 2012 act passed by the state General Assembly prohibits the department from participating in the REAL ID Act.&#8220;The language in Act 38 of 2012 would need to be repealed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly,&#8221; Campbell said. &#8220;(Act 38 of 2012) bars the governor and PennDOT from participating in REAL ID.&#8221;According to the Department of Homeland Security, as of Jan. 30, 2017, &#8220;nuclear power plants may not accept for official purposes driver&#8217;s licenses and state IDs from a non-compliant state/territory without an extension.&#8221;According to Neil Sheehan, public affairs spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, beginning Jan. 30, 2017, those with Pennsylvania IDs will also need to present another form of identification to visit the power plant&#8217;s property.State-issued IDs such as driver&#8217;s licenses are never the sole data point for admitting anyone to a nuclear plant, either as a worker or a visitor, Mark Resner, an NRC senior security specialist, said in a blog post. For workers of the power plant, the law will have minimal effect.&#8220;Nuclear power plant workers have employee badges issued by their employers following an extensive background and criminal records check, psychological assessments and drug and alcohol testing,&#8221; Resner noted.Visitors are usually known in advance and screened through a database and approved by an employee with required background credentials. Resner said visitors will also be escorted while inside the facility.The Tobyhanna Army Depot in Monroe County won&#8217;t change policies and procedures &#8220;until otherwise directed by its headquarters,&#8221; said Mark Horn, chief of the depot&#8217;s risk management division.Just like power plant laws, a valid, acceptable form of government photo identification, such as a driver&#8217;s license or passport, is needed to gain access to the depot, Horn said.Campbell noted the change in federally acceptable forms of identification for air travel doesn&#8217;t begin until Jan. 22, 2018.State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, said he&#8217;s concerned about Pennsylvanians when the act fully goes into effect.&#8220;I&#8217;ve signed on as a co-sponsor to legislation recently circulated by Sen. Kim Ward that would enable our state to come into compliance or work with the Department of Homeland Security to find an alternative end,&#8221; he said.&#8220;We (PennDOT) will continue to work with the federal government and the Pennsylvania General Assembly to find a solution to this issue,&#8221; Campbell added.<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Pennsylvania-issued driver&#8217;s licenses will no longer be accepted at federal facilities beginning Jan. 30, 2017</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Melanie Mizenkommizenko@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>The REAL ID ActProvisions of the law provide for:&#8226; New federal standards for state-issued driver&#8217;s licenses and non-driver identification cards.&#8226; Changing visa limits for temporary workers, nurses and Australian citizens.&#8226; Funding some reports and pilot projects related to border security.&#8226; Updating and tightening the laws on application for asylum and deportation of aliens for terrorist activity.&#8226; Waiving laws that interfere with construction of physical barriers at the borders.</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.</shirttailMeta></div>

Change in law means power plant visitors will need second form of ID beginning in 2017