CONTACT:       Caleb Tiller, +1 703-684-0836 ext. 138
                         Nicole Hayes, +1 703-684-0836 ext. 133

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – the voice of the business travel industry – is calling on Congress and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address concerns that could leave U.S. citizens unable to board domestic flights without a READ ID-compliant driver’s license or passport. As more than 30 states are unlikely to meet the December 31 deadline, NBTA is urging DHS to extend the deadline to comply with REAL ID if Congress does not enact the PASS ID Act. Neither the House nor Senate have voted on PASS ID, which would extend REAL ID compliance deadlines and allow passengers to continue using their current driver’s licenses to board an airplane.

Michael W. McCormick, NBTA Executive Director & COO, said:

Recognizing the considerable number of states that have opted to refuse to comply with the federal REAL ID act, NBTA has lobbied the Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, and the states to find common ground on identification documents acceptable for demonstrating identity when boarding a flight. 

There is less than a month before millions of travelers face extra and unwarranted scrutiny when flying. No American should be denied or delayed in his or her right to travel because of a disagreement between levels of government on issuing identification documents. 

If Congress is unable to enact legislation to change the REAL ID requirements, DHS must use the authority it has to provide compliance extensions to states and their residents to avoid this looming nightmare for the traveling public.

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Australia / New Zealand, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Europe, NBTA Mexico, and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 17,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 5,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 13 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org