New Passport Rules Pose Problems For Amish

Yesterday's Lancaster (PA) New Era reports on problems that new passport rules pose for members of the Amish faith who object on religious grounds to being photographed. Many Amish travel to Mexico or Canada for less expensive health care. Rules implementing the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 require that air travellers from Mexico and Canada carry a passport, and the requirement will apply to those who travel by land and sea beginning in 2008. U.S. Rep. Joseph Pitts, trying to help the Amish resolve their problem, says he is exploring whether a fingerprint or retinal scan could be used instead of a passport photo.