The Austin American-Statesman is reporting that the estimated cost of implementing REAL ID Act requirements into the Department of Public Safety's issuance of driver's licenses will now cost Texas 20 times more than originally estimated.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials now estimate the cost of implementing the feds' controversial REAL ID Act will be a whopping $268 million.
DPS Director Tommy Davis delivered the bad news yesterday to a surprised House Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal Justice.
Details: More than 700 new full-time employees over five years.
The new tally is much higher than the earlier $13 million estimate to implement the changes mandated by Congress in how states issue the drivers licenses. The feds are not giving states any money to make the necessary changes, and several states have bucked up at the cost.
The Legislative Budget Board earlier estimated the cost to all states at $11 billion.
If states don't comply with the new rules, the feds have promised to stop honoring their drivers licenses as ID at airports and other places.
I am curious why it is going to cost $268 million to effectively create a new id card with information that the current TX driver's license already has on it.
