Metahuman Identification Card

United States Law

Article Contributed by  Silverlite_Sword 

Countries all over the world have laws concerning metahuman registration. The rationale for these laws is that metahumans are potentially very dangerous, and law enforcement officials need to be able to know who they might be dealing with.
In the United States, all metahumans are required to carry a Metahuman Identification Card containing their name, description, photograph, home address, Sharpe Classification, and their use authorization (if any). Unregistered metahumans are subject to heavy fines, and any crime committed by an individual found to be an unregistered metahuman is considered a felony. Doctors, employers, and even family members are considered to have a duty to report unregistered metahumans. Failure to report such a metahuman is considered aiding and abetting said metahuman, and if they should commit a crime, the people who had knowledge of their abilities can also be charged.
The process for being registered is a lengthy one. Applicants must use their birth certificate or passport to file for a preliminary identification card, then take their preliminary I.D. to a physician licensed to perform the Sharpe classification test. After the test, which takes many hours, applicants submit their Sharpe classification results and receive their permanent Metahuman Identification Card. In addition to the lengthy process, fees must be paid to receive both the preliminary ID and the final ID. In addition, most of the physicians who perform the Sharpe classification exam have private practices and do not accept insurance.
In 21 AE, a bill was passed to make the identification process less burdensome on those without the required means to pay for the identification card. Citizens who qualify for government assistance can have their fees waived, and each state is required to provide a public office where the Sharpe test is administered for free. Anyone who does not qualify for government assistance but for whom the financial cost would be burdensome may file to have their filing fees reimbursed.

Purpose

The Metahuman Identification Cards were initially intended to be used by law enforcement officials to track down rogue metahumans. If an unknown metahuman commits a crime, the evidence at the scene can be cross-referenced with the existing database to narrow down potential suspects. In addition, if a metahuman becomes a fugitive, law enforcement can use their known weaknesses to better combat them.
In practice, however, the identification card has become a prerequisite for many metahuman jobs, where a metahuman's Sharpe classification is used to determine their suitability for the job. Metahumans who are already registered tend to avoid committing crimes, while career criminals take pains to avoid being registered.

Historical Details

Background

Metahuman registration was proposed almost immediately after the Eclipse. The "National Defense Coalition," a group of citizens concerned about the threat to national security that metahumans pose, was one of the early campaigners for the idea. However, major political candidates took a couple of years to begin endorsing the idea. After the Green Baron killings and the Burning of Seattle, the nation was galvanized into action and the Metahuman Registration Act was born.

History

After its ratification, the Metahuman Registration Act underwent a variety of revisions over the years. The first major revision was the introduction of the SUPERS Act in 5 AE, which began to authorize metahumans to use their abilities in certain, limited ways. One of the most popular use authorizations was to allow metahumans to use their abilities against rogue metahumans who were a danger to the public. Metahuman-only sports matches were another popular authorization provided for in the bill.
The Metahuman Privacy Act, passed in 9 AE, made a metahuman's "secret identity" and Sharpe Classification private information. The government would still collect such information, but as a concession to the growing metahuman activist lobby, those records would be sealed and could not be accessed without a warrant. If a metahuman is a known fugitive at large, then a court order could be obtained to make that metahuman's registration data public knowledge. Revocation of privacy rights is also a common punishment for metahumans who are convicted of crimes.
Lastly, the Assist Act, ratified in 21 AE, provided aid to metahumans in need who struggled to afford the financial burden of registration. It also lessened the punishment for being unregistered, provided that the metahuman in question has clean arrest and conviction records.

Public Reaction

When discussions of metahuman registration were first raised, the public was hotly divided on the topic. Non-metahumans were largely afraid that their neighbors might be dangerous metahumans, and that there was nothing that could be done to protect the public from these new threats. On the other hand, metahumans and metahuman advocates called the registration an invasion of privacy, and the first step towards a totalitarian government. After several high profile incidents involving metahumans, however, Congress could no longer ignore the threat to public safety that metahumans pose, and they signed the Metahuman Registration Act into law.
The law never was, and still is not popular among metahumans. However, the SUPERS Act and the Metahuman Privacy Act served as sufficient compromises to quiet the complaints of most metahumans. Today, opposition to the Metahuman Registration Act is a vocal but increasingly small minority even among metahumans.

Legacy

The Metahuman Registration Act set an important precedent that other legislation aims to build upon. Currently, devices constructed by super-intelligent metahumans can convey superhuman abilities to their wielders, yet these devices are not included in the Metahuman Registration Act. A revived National Defense Coalition is currently calling for the ratification of a "Superweapons Registration Act" that would require all Stardust-powered devices or devices created by super-intelligent metahumans to be registered in a database similar to the national metahuman registry.

C: Credible 

Type

Identification, Civil (Passport/ID Card)

Medium

Paper

Ratification Date

AE 4