The U.S. government has proposed a new, high-tech passport card for Americans who travel internationally within the Western Hemisphere.
The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have submitted Tuesday a proposal for public comment.
The plan calls for a card that is small enough to fit into a person's wallet. It would meet the same standards as a traditional passport book, but would only be used by U.S. citizens traveling from the U.S. to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
The proposed card would use radio frequency identification (RFID) that links the card to a government database that contains biographical information and a photograph.
The State Department says the passport card could make frequent travel easier for people who live in border communities.