Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025
Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025 would repeal Title II of the REAL ID Act of 2005, which set federal standards for identification documents used for federal purposes (such as boarding federally regulated flights and accessing certain federal facilities). By repealing those requirements, the bill would remove the nationwide Real ID framework and return more discretion to states and other authorities over which IDs are accepted for federal uses. The measure also makes conforming changes to related statutes that currently reference REAL ID requirements, including Afghanistan-related benefits and certain Social Security Act grant provisions to states. In short, the bill aims to roll back federal ID standards to protect civil liberties and personal privacy, but it could affect how ID documents are used for travel, federal access, and related funding conditions. Introduced in the Senate and attributed to Senator Rand Paul, the bill positions itself as a privacy and civil liberties reform by eliminating the federal mandate tied to REAL ID, while adjusting related laws to remove REAL ID references from other programs.
Key Points
- 1Repeal of Title II of the REAL ID Act of 2005: The federal requirements that standardized identification documents for federal purposes would be removed, ending the nationwide Real ID framework.
- 2Effect on federal identification: With the Real ID standards repealed, federal agencies and facilities could revert to pre-REAL ID identification norms, giving states more freedom but potentially reducing uniformity and certain security guarantees.
- 3Conforming amendments to related laws: Removes REAL ID references from (i) the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (affecting benefits for Afghanistan nationals) and (ii) the Social Security Act grant provisions to states, thereby altering eligibility or compliance conditions tied to REAL ID.
- 4Privacy and civil liberties emphasis: The bill’s title and purpose frame the repeal as a move to safeguard personal information and individual privacy by reducing centralized data collection and standardized identity verification.
- 5Legislative status and sponsor: Introduced in the 119th Congress as S. 2769; the text indicates Senator Rand Paul as the sponsor.