Metahuman Registration Act

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In 2006, the rise of metahumans in the United States corresponded with the rise in the number of unregistered vigilantes nationwide. Operating extra-judicially, sometimes with or without police cooperation, vigilantes cropped up across the nation to fight crime and sometimes simply to advance personal interests. Complications swiftly arise when individuals attempt to act as agents for law enforcement, detaining criminals or potentially obtaining evidence. A compromise was struck in order to provide a way for 'law-abiding' vigilantes to serve the public good without being criminalized for operating relatively anonymously.

The Metahuman Registration Act created optional special protections for individuals who operate under a covert identity in order to protect their loved ones from retribution. A vigilante identity is a registered legal identity, and accepted nationwide as a valid substitute for most forms of identification. A witness statement from a vigilante is accepted the same as a statement from any other civilian, whether it's giving an accurate depiction of a crisis or pointing law enforcement at the scene of a crime.

There are several caveats. A metahuman ID simply guarantees the privacy of the bearer. An applicant must register their nom de guerre with the Department of Extranormal Operations, and produce their metahuman ID on demand. If arrested or detained, law enforcement must first run biometrics against the DEO database and local criminal records. They may not compare biometrics to state data or other records.

A person cannot testify in court while incognito nor may they bring suit against a criminal unless they are prepared to unmask themselves publicly. If convicted of a felony offense, the protection offered by the state is null and void.