rep3@wyomingnews.com

CHEYENNE - An analysis released Thursday warns that the federal Real ID Act could end up costing states more than $11 billion.

And the support services administrator for the Wyoming Department of Transportation said there is still a lack of federal guidance for how to implement the legislation, which has far-reaching impacts for the state and its citizens.

"I don't think we're going to get a whole lot of information until after the election," Jim O'Connor said.

He first outlined WYDOT's concerns to the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee in July.

The Real ID Act is an effort to bolster the security of state-issued driver's licenses and other forms of identification. It requires that by May 11, 2008, a person must present numerous document when applying for a license. It also compels the state to verify those documents at the source of their origin.

O'Connor expressed serious concern with that latter requirement.

"At this point and time, we cannot verify the source of location for birth certificates," he said. "The software for us to be able to get to the source of the origination in all 50 states is just not there. We don't have that capability, and I don't know when we will."

He said individuals born in foreign countries or who were born at home and had no official birth certificate in vital records are not addressed by the act.

Neither was the issue of how to handle people who have different versions of their proper name on documents - such as "Ray" on one and "Raymond" on another.

Three groups - the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators - teamed for the study.

It concludes that the law likely will require states to re-issue drivers licenses and identification cards to all residents.

It also raises the concern of whether states could handle the sudden influx of people seeking licenses that comply with Real ID, particularly since those licenses will be required to board commercial flights or to enter federal buildings, such as a post office.

"I don't believe we are" prepared to handle such a glut of customers, O'Connor said.

"We're understaffed for that," he added.

He said both WYDOT's facilities and staffing levels are inadequate to accomplish that task.

The study issues several recommendations. It suggests the federal government:

? Give an extension to the states to reach full compliance.

? Provide the states with the funding required to accomplish an overhaul of the license system.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal said the funding question is central to the issue of Real ID.

"I'm encouraged by the report in that it's focused on the effect of this unfunded federal mandate," he said. "Hopefully, the questions of funding will get addressed before we get any further."

O'Connor said that while he is optimistic that the situation will be straightened out prior to the May 11, 2008 deadline, "It's sort of a wait and see. We'll approach it as we get more direction."