Tuesday, March 22, 2005

~ births and driving won't be the same ~

The fine details on the Federal "Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004" are yet to be etched but will be fought over because of long-standing fears of a national identification card. The bill requires states to establish national standards on driver licenses to reduce fabrication of licenses. Read an article

The Act also requires the states standardize birth certificates. A troubling note in the report reveals a potential dark cloud on the horizon.

Concern has been expressed that this provision may have an impact on genealogical and other historical research involving access to birth records. However, what exactly that impact will be appears dependent on precisely how the regulation is ultimately drafted. For example, it is possible that the regulations could be drafted in such a way that will make it difficult for genealogical researchers to obtain birth certificates without express permission or authorization from the person or persons whose records they are seeking.