House Passes Bill That Seeks Compliance With REAL ID

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The House has passed a measure that would create a two-tiered licensing system that seeks to bring Washington state in line with federal identification requirements.

The measure was approved by the Democratic-led chamber on a 69-28 bipartisan vote, and it now heads back to the Senate — which passed the bill in February — for concurrence on changes made in the House. More negotiation is expected before a final bill is passed.

For years, state lawmakers have struggled on how to best comply with the REAL ID Act, a 2005 federal law that requires state driver's licenses and ID cards to have security enhancements and be issued to people who can prove they are legally in the United States.

The measure being considered by Washington lawmakers would keep the state's current enhanced license and would mark standard state licenses as not valid for federal purposes.