Additional Background Legislative History and the Implementation Process Why is the U.S. government implementing the travel initiative?
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) mandated that the U.S. secretaries of Homeland Security and State develop and implement a plan to require U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to present a passport or other appropriate identity and citizenship documentation when entering the United States. For many years, U.S. citizens, and some citizens of other countries in the Western Hemisphere including Canadians and Mexicans with Border Crossing Cards (BCCs or Laser Visas), have not been required to present a passport to enter the United States. Currently, a traveler may make a verbal declaration of citizenship, or present other forms of documents to enter the country that cannot currently be validated or verified in a timely manner, such as birth certificates and drivers licenses.
