A federal government plan to issue a national driver's license has come under fire recently because states say they can't afford to pick up the tab.

According to the Library of Congress, by 2008, the Real ID Act of 2005 will require all states to begin issuing new driver's licenses with certain identifying features that could be used by federal officials for homeland security purposes.

Late last month, the Maine legislature railed against the plan. Other states soon followed suit, according to an Associated Press report.

The deadline for compliance is May 11, 2008 -- three years after the law's enactment -- but the Secretary of Homeland Security will extend the deadline for any state with an adequate reason for not complying, according to a statement by Pat Cavanagh, legislative director for U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle (.

Eric Bugaile, executive director of the House Transportation Committee, said no federal money will pay for the expense and Pennsylvania cannot afford the change.

"The estimates are about $80 million for Pennsylvania alone," he said.

Danielle Klinger, PennDOT spokeswoman, said the state recognized the act in the 2006-07 budget. She said Pennsylvania set aside $85 million over the next seven years to implement the plan.

However, legislatures are still not sure of Pennsylvania's fiscal budget, and a great deal depends on what the federal regulations in the bill will say, she added.

Bugaile said the bill is an "unfunded mandate" and the system will cost states a total of $11 billion.

PennDOT cannot comment further until after viewing the regulations this summer and coming to a conclusion based on them, Klinger said.

State compliance with the act will be "almost near impossible," she said. She added Pennsylvania is currently redesigning its own system, and does not necessarily need the new IDs.

University political groups oppose one another regarding the changes -- particularly those regarding identification information on the IDs.

"If it needs all that [extra information], you would think that it would reduce identify theft. It would take a very intelligent person to crack the system," Todd Taylor, president of the College Republicans, said.

College Democrats said the national ID would give too much power to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Eliot Schmidt, College Democrats spokesman, said he is concerned because the DHS can regulate and add additional requirements to whatever would be readable on the card.

Schmidt said he is also concerned that if the bill is not properly articulated, it could lead to all sorts of privacy issues.

"It was attached to a military spending bill, which is why it passed. There would have been more debate if it had gone up on its own," Schmidt said.