[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11377-11378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5742]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6545]

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Certification Related to Implementation of The Western Hemisphere 
Travel Initiative

    Pursuant to the authorities vested in the Secretary of State and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security, including under section 
7209(b)(1)(B) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act 
of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-458), as amended by section 546 of the Department 
of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (Pub. L. 109-295), 
section 723 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission 
Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-53), and section 545 of title V of Div. E of 
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161), we 
hereby certify that
    (i) The National Institute of Standards and Technology certifies 
that the Departments of Homeland Security and State have selected a 
card architecture that meets or exceeds International Organization for 
Standardization (ISO) security standards and meets or exceeds best 
available practices for protection of personal identification 
documents: That the National Institute of Standards and Technology has 
also assisted the Departments of Homeland Security and State to 
incorporate into the architecture of the card the best available 
practices to prevent the unauthorized use of information on the card: 
That to facilitate efficient cross-border travel, the Departments of 
Homeland Security and State have, to the maximum extent possible, 
developed an architecture that is compatible with information 
technology systems and infrastructure used by United States Customs and 
Border Protection;
    (ii) The technology to be used by the United States for the 
passport card, and any subsequent change to that technology, has been 
shared with the governments of Canada and Mexico;
    (iii) An agreement has been reached with the United States Postal 
Service on the fee to be charged individuals for the passport card, and 
a detailed justification has been submitted to the Committees on 
Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives;
    (iv) An alternative procedure has been developed for groups of 
children traveling across an international border under adult 
supervision with parental consent;
    (v) The necessary technological infrastructure to process the 
passport cards has been installed, and all employees at ports of entry 
have been properly trained in the use of the new technology;
    (vi) The passport card has been made available for the purpose of 
international travel by United States citizens through land and sea 
ports of entry between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the 
Caribbean and Bermuda;
    (vii) A single implementation date for sea and land borders has 
been established; and

[[Page 11378]]

    (viii) The signing of a memorandum of agreement to initiate a pilot 
program with not less than one State to determine if an enhanced 
driver's license, which is machine-readable and tamper proof, not valid 
for certification of citizenship for any purpose other than admission 
into the United States from Canada or Mexico, and issued by such State 
to an individual, may permit the individual to use the driver's license 
to meet the documentation requirements under subparagraph (A) of 
section 7209(b)(1) for entry into the United States from Canada or 
Mexico at land and sea ports of entry.
    This certification and related Memorandum of Justification shall be 
provided to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and House of 
Representatives. This certification shall be published in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: February 24, 2009.
Janet Napolitano,
Secretary of Homeland Security.
    Dated: February 24, 2009.
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Secretary of State.
[FR Doc. E9-5742 Filed 3-16-09; 8:45 am]
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