North American Union - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

Western Hemisphere Travel Card Architecture

[Federal Register: March 17, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 11377-11378]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17mr09-55]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6545]

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Certification Related to Implementation of The Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative

Pursuant to the authorities vested in the Secretary of State and
the Secretary of Homeland Security, including under section
7209(b)(1)(B) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act
of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-458), as amended by section 546 of the Department
of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (Pub. L. 109-295),
section 723 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission
Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-53), and section 545 of title V of Div. E of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161), we
hereby certify that
(i) The National Institute of Standards and Technology certifies
that the Departments of Homeland Security and State have selected a
card architecture that meets or exceeds International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) security standards and meets or exceeds best
available practices for protection of personal identification
documents: That the National Institute of Standards and Technology has
also assisted the Departments of Homeland Security and State to
incorporate into the architecture of the card the best available
practices to prevent the unauthorized use of information on the card:
That to facilitate efficient cross-border travel, the Departments of
Homeland Security and State have, to the maximum extent possible,
developed an architecture that is compatible with information
technology systems and infrastructure used by United States Customs and
Border Protection;
(ii) The technology to be used by the United States for the
passport card, and any subsequent change to that technology, has been
shared with the governments of Canada and Mexico;
(iii) An agreement has been reached with the United States Postal
Service on the fee to be charged individuals for the passport card, and
a detailed justification has been submitted to the Committees on
Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives;
(iv) An alternative procedure has been developed for groups of
children traveling across an international border under adult
supervision with parental consent;
(v) The necessary technological infrastructure to process the
passport cards has been installed, and all employees at ports of entry
have been properly trained in the use of the new technology;
(vi) The passport card has been made available for the purpose of
international travel by United States citizens through land and sea
ports of entry between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the
Caribbean and Bermuda;
(vii) A single implementation date for sea and land borders has
been established; and

[[Page 11378]]

(viii) The signing of a memorandum of agreement to initiate a pilot
program with not less than one State to determine if an enhanced
driver's license, which is machine-readable and tamper proof, not valid
for certification of citizenship for any purpose other than admission
into the United States from Canada or Mexico, and issued by such State
to an individual, may permit the individual to use the driver's license
to meet the documentation requirements under subparagraph (A) of
section 7209(b)(1) for entry into the United States from Canada or
Mexico at land and sea ports of entry.
This certification and related Memorandum of Justification shall be
provided to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of
Representatives. This certification shall be published in the Federal
Register.

Dated: February 24, 2009.
Janet Napolitano,
Secretary of Homeland Security.
Dated: February 24, 2009.
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Secretary of State.
[FR Doc. E9-5742 Filed 3-16-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710-06-P

edit to quote external text k/j

[edit on 17/3/2009 by kosmicjack]

I saw a commercial on TV last night about new travel ID requirements between Canada and Mexico. The wife and I were chatting and I missed most of what they were saying, was meaning to look it up when I get a chance. I bet this is what they were talking about. Pretty crazy that they already have a PR campaign for it.