Post by robert on Jun 3, 2006 2:55:27 GMT -5
Seph, would you visit Niagara Falls again? Are the haunted houses really worth a 300 mile drive? Great article, btw. And, would you go after 2007 when the new passport/government ID rules go into effect to cross in to Canada and return to the US? There is a possibility that you won't need a passport to go there and be able to return home, that you will be able to use alternative ID such as a low cost passport card or an enhanced driver's license with proof of citizenship on the license. It was approved on May 25 I saw on a website. This:
The Coleman Amendment (introduced by Republican Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota) was approved on May 25. Much more comprehensive than the Stevens-Leahy Amendment, it not only seeks to postpone implementation of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act’s border crossing documentation requirements to at least June 1, 2009 (see below), but addresses a range of implementation issues.
TIAC supports the Coleman Amendment, because it focusses on many of TIAC’s and the Passport Coalition’s key advocacy requests that need to be addressed regardless of when the WHTI is actually implemented. Specifically, it responds to TIAC’s calls for a single implementation date, accessible and affordable passport substitutes, exemptions for children, a U.S. government awareness campaign and expansion of the NEXUS and FAST programs, as well as to issues that the association raised around the PASS card regarding reciprocity, its expansion beyond land transportation and its cost. Even if the Coleman Amendment does not end up becoming law, at the very least it serves to draw attention to the need to ensure efficiency in the WHTI’s implementation, taking into account the well-being of the tourism industry.
Provisions of the Coleman Amendment
The amendment provides for the development of a Passport Card as an acceptable passport substitute for American citizens returning to the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, countries in the Caribbean or Bermuda. The card would be:
* Easily portable and durable, with the technical specifications, including security features, to be determined by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security.
* Valid for the same time period as a U.S. passport (10 years for initial applications and five years for renewals).
* Affordable. The fee would be set as low as possible, ideally less than $24 US but no more than $34 US. (A fee exceeding $34 US would be subject to an audit by the Comptroller General to ensure it reflects the lowest possible cost.) The fee would be reduced for people applying simultaneously for a U.S. passport, and waived for applicants under 18 years of age.
* Accessible. Passport Card applications would be obtainable from and accepted at the same locations as passport applications.
The amendment provides for at least one demonstration program involving REAL ID driver’s licences to be carried out by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security in collaboration with one or more states. Under the program, which would be evaluated after six months with a view to its possible expansion:
* A state could include an individual’s citizenship status on a REAL ID driver’s licence at the individual’s request.
* A REAL ID driver’s licence that includes citizenship status would be accepted as a passport substitute when entering the U.S. from Canada. (At least one Canada-U.S. border crossing in each participating state would be designated to accept such documents.)
The amendment provides for the development and use of technology in implementing the WHTI:
* The Passport Card’s design and production should provide a platform to which expedited traveller programs such as NEXUS and FAST could be added.
* The Secretaries of State and Homeland Security would have to establish a technology implementation plan.
The amendment provides for reciprocity with Canada by authorizing the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to work with Canadian authorities to:
* Certify government-issued identification documents, including REAL ID-type driver’s licences, that would allow Canadian citizens to enter the U.S. from Canada.
* Ensure that Canadian identification documents contain the same technology as U.S. documents and could be read by the same scanners.
The amendment provides for the expansion of expedited traveller programs:
* NEXUS, NEXUS AIR, SENTRI, FAST and Register Traveler would be expanded to all ports of entry.
* At least six additional Canada-U.S. border posts would be equipped with NEXUS technology.
* The Commissioner of Customs and Border Patrol would facilitate expedited processing of U.S. citizens returning from pleasure craft trips in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda.
The amendment contains special provisions for improperly documented individuals:
* Permits to allow U.S. citizens to leave the country and return within 72 hours.
* A grace period, to be set by Homeland Security, during which American and Canadian citizens could enter the U.S. by presenting proof of citizenship.
* The waiver of documentation requirements for children travelling to Canada in groups of six or more who have written proof of parental consent.
The amendment provides for the development and implementation of an outreach plan to inform American citizens of the WHTI requirements and how to comply with them. Written notices would be posted at public facilities, and possibly some commercial establishments, located within 50 miles of the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico.
And, it provides for a WHTI deadline extension to the later of June 1, 2009 or three months after the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security can certify the availability of alternative documents, demonstrated by the distribution of Passport Cards to at least 90% of eligible applicants and a successful pilot program showing its effectiveness.
The Coleman Amendment (introduced by Republican Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota) was approved on May 25. Much more comprehensive than the Stevens-Leahy Amendment, it not only seeks to postpone implementation of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act’s border crossing documentation requirements to at least June 1, 2009 (see below), but addresses a range of implementation issues.
TIAC supports the Coleman Amendment, because it focusses on many of TIAC’s and the Passport Coalition’s key advocacy requests that need to be addressed regardless of when the WHTI is actually implemented. Specifically, it responds to TIAC’s calls for a single implementation date, accessible and affordable passport substitutes, exemptions for children, a U.S. government awareness campaign and expansion of the NEXUS and FAST programs, as well as to issues that the association raised around the PASS card regarding reciprocity, its expansion beyond land transportation and its cost. Even if the Coleman Amendment does not end up becoming law, at the very least it serves to draw attention to the need to ensure efficiency in the WHTI’s implementation, taking into account the well-being of the tourism industry.
Provisions of the Coleman Amendment
The amendment provides for the development of a Passport Card as an acceptable passport substitute for American citizens returning to the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, countries in the Caribbean or Bermuda. The card would be:
* Easily portable and durable, with the technical specifications, including security features, to be determined by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security.
* Valid for the same time period as a U.S. passport (10 years for initial applications and five years for renewals).
* Affordable. The fee would be set as low as possible, ideally less than $24 US but no more than $34 US. (A fee exceeding $34 US would be subject to an audit by the Comptroller General to ensure it reflects the lowest possible cost.) The fee would be reduced for people applying simultaneously for a U.S. passport, and waived for applicants under 18 years of age.
* Accessible. Passport Card applications would be obtainable from and accepted at the same locations as passport applications.
The amendment provides for at least one demonstration program involving REAL ID driver’s licences to be carried out by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security in collaboration with one or more states. Under the program, which would be evaluated after six months with a view to its possible expansion:
* A state could include an individual’s citizenship status on a REAL ID driver’s licence at the individual’s request.
* A REAL ID driver’s licence that includes citizenship status would be accepted as a passport substitute when entering the U.S. from Canada. (At least one Canada-U.S. border crossing in each participating state would be designated to accept such documents.)
The amendment provides for the development and use of technology in implementing the WHTI:
* The Passport Card’s design and production should provide a platform to which expedited traveller programs such as NEXUS and FAST could be added.
* The Secretaries of State and Homeland Security would have to establish a technology implementation plan.
The amendment provides for reciprocity with Canada by authorizing the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to work with Canadian authorities to:
* Certify government-issued identification documents, including REAL ID-type driver’s licences, that would allow Canadian citizens to enter the U.S. from Canada.
* Ensure that Canadian identification documents contain the same technology as U.S. documents and could be read by the same scanners.
The amendment provides for the expansion of expedited traveller programs:
* NEXUS, NEXUS AIR, SENTRI, FAST and Register Traveler would be expanded to all ports of entry.
* At least six additional Canada-U.S. border posts would be equipped with NEXUS technology.
* The Commissioner of Customs and Border Patrol would facilitate expedited processing of U.S. citizens returning from pleasure craft trips in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda.
The amendment contains special provisions for improperly documented individuals:
* Permits to allow U.S. citizens to leave the country and return within 72 hours.
* A grace period, to be set by Homeland Security, during which American and Canadian citizens could enter the U.S. by presenting proof of citizenship.
* The waiver of documentation requirements for children travelling to Canada in groups of six or more who have written proof of parental consent.
The amendment provides for the development and implementation of an outreach plan to inform American citizens of the WHTI requirements and how to comply with them. Written notices would be posted at public facilities, and possibly some commercial establishments, located within 50 miles of the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico.
And, it provides for a WHTI deadline extension to the later of June 1, 2009 or three months after the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security can certify the availability of alternative documents, demonstrated by the distribution of Passport Cards to at least 90% of eligible applicants and a successful pilot program showing its effectiveness.
