Comments sought on new passport law

Ken Johnston

The time is now for public and businesses to tell the United States government how a proposal to make border crossers carry a passport will affect them.
The public has until October 31, 2005 to send in emails or written comments via mail to the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Dept. of State.
In a memo from Debra Kellerman, President of the Northwest Angle Chamber of Commerce and LoW Tourism Board Chair, she urged all members of the public to send their concerns in via email first and then follow them up by sending a copy via regular mail.
Comments should be identified by RIN number 1400-AC10 and one or all of the above agencies should be identified. This can be done at the website: www.regulations.gov. Do a search for “Open Regulations”: “Agency”–State Department (scroll through list), “Keyword”–Passport with “Any Word” highlighted and then click “Go.”
Or mail them to Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Office of Regulations and Rulings, Regulations Branch, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20229.
Kellerman notes that the rules for the new regulations speak of everyone entering the United States from Canada have a passport as of Jan. 1, 2008. However, she said there is also language in the proposal that could allow for alternative identification as being acceptable at border crossings. She urges all who feel they will be affected by the passport requirement to send comments supporting the use of other i.d. such as a driver’s license and birth certificate as being sufficient.
Some of the areas comments could be written on include:
•types of documents denoting identity and citizenship that could be accepted other than passports
•the economic impact, especially on cross border trade in border communities
•the cost and its impact as well as the time factor in obtaining a passport
•the impact on quality of life such as playing sports or other social events on both sides of the border and how that might be severely impacted by the new regulation
Kellerman encourages everyone to, “Please look at your impact, both personally and economically and relay your concerns immediately.”
For more information on the passport proposal log onto www.travel.state.gov or www.dhs.gov.
Concerns can also be sent via email to: Senator Norm Coleman at senator@coleman.senate.gov, Sen. Mark Dayton at www.dayton.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm, Gov. Tim Pawlenty at tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us, Rep. Colin Peterson at www.collinpeterson.house.gov/contact.html.
Once the deadline passes the US government will review the comments and decide if any changes to the passport or other i.d. requirements will be necessary.
Canadians can also put pressure on their government to continue expressing opposition to the plan with the US government. Also government efforts to come up with an acceptable form of i.d. that would be easier to get and use for Canadians wishing to enter the US are underway. Canadians should contact their MP to urge them to continue working on these avenues. The email address for Thunder Bay-Rainy River Member of Parliament Ken Boshcoff is: BoshcK@parl.gc.ca.