OMB issues draft ID card guidelines

The Office of Management and Budget wants to set an 18-month timeline for agencies to implement an interoperable employee identification card.In draft guidance that was to be published this month in the Federal Register, OMB officials set an Oct. 27, 2006, deadline for agencies to comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Federal Information Processing Standard 201.Agencies would have until Sept. 30, 2005, to set up the policies and procedures to begin identity proofing of all current employees and contractors, the notice said.In the meantime, NIST must finish technical specifications on biometrics and physical specifications for the standard by April 29. Then it must release a reference implementation strategy for agencies by June 25 and conformance testing information by Aug. 5.To read the draft, go to and enter 409 in the Quickfind box.