AUSTIN - With a little over a month left in the 2007 legislative session, border business leaders are pushing hard to get legislation passed that will allow DPS to initiate a pilot program for enhanced high security driver’s licenses.

SB 2027, authored by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, is modeled on pilot program legislation recently enacted in the state of Washington.

The new licenses, approved by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, include proof of citizenship and other information that can easily be scanned at border ports of entry.

“Our border is the most vibrant region of the hemisphere with over 68 million legal crossings a year. With passport requirements coming soon, we need to make secure, fast crossings work for all who live and work in our region,” Shapleigh said.

“SB 2027 is modeled on Washington state's bill that puts passport and citizen information in driver's licenses so border residents need only one document to cross and return.”

In Washington, the new licenses include radio frequency ID chips and other advanced security features. They are not only less vulnerable to forgery but also, at about $40, less expensive than a $97 passport.

Texas border business leaders are pushing hard for SB 2027 because of new federal mandates requiring U.S. citizens who enter the country by land from Western Hemisphere countries to have a passport. The mandate, which already exists for air travelers, could take effect at land ports by early 2008. 

“We received word that Secretary Chertoff is pushing ahead to require any U.S. citizen returning from Mexico to have a passport.  For a family of 4 that means $400,” said Mike Allen, executive vice president of external affairs for the McAllen Economic Development Corporation and vice chairman of the Texas Border Coalition.

“This could be very serious for our state and trade with Mexico. We are receiving word from the governor’s office of Nuevo Leon as well as Chihuahua that this would definitely be harmful for business in Mexico.”

The Rio Grande Valley Partnership passed a resolution in support of SB 2027 on Thursday.

“As the regional chamber of commerce, the Rio Grande Valley Partnership works to build business and to foster goodwill with our neighbors in Mexico," said RGVP President and CEO Bill Summers.

“By our resolution today, we commend Senator Shapleigh in the Texas Legislature for his proactive efforts to create mechanisms that facilitate business and goodwill, rather than some federal initiatives that wedge barricades against them.”

Shapleigh’s bill was passed out of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee on a seven to one vote.

Chertoff gave his endorsement of the Washington pilot project at a news conference last month. “I'm quite sure other states that want to use the same technology and the same approach will be welcome to do so,” Chertoff said. “The whole idea here is giving a series of alternatives, as long as they meet the same basic standards.”