[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 179 (Tuesday, October 12, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1093]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE REAL ID GENDER REQUIREMENT REFORM ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 12, 2021

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the REAL ID Gender 
Requirement Reform Act, which would remove the requirement from the 
REAL ID Act that REAL ID-compliant licenses include gender. Instead, 
the decision whether to have gender on a state's REAL-ID compliant 
would be left to the states. The bill would also require that if a 
state requires gender designation for licenses, an individual wishing 
to change their gender designation on their license be allowed to do so 
through self-attestation. It would also require states to have a 
neutral or other designation gender field, in addition to male or 
female. This is an important bill for equality, especially for 
transgender Americans.
  Under the REAL ID Act, gender must be included on a license. This can 
be problematic for transgender or nonbinary individuals. I recognize 
that some LGBTQ individuals do not want gender designations on licenses 
at all, while others do want gender designation so as to express their 
identity. I believe this bill strikes the middle ground, while showing 
Congress' support for LGBTQ individuals.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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