Such a common infrastructure would make it easier and cheaper for agencies to enroll and register people in the PIV program, said David Temoshok, director for identity policy and management at the U.S. General Services Administration. The GSA and the Office of Management and Budget are undertaking the study, he said.

Federal agencies are required to distribute smart cards by Oct. 27 under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which was issued in August 2004. The directive requires that smart cards support biometric identifiers.

"If we can put a common infrastructure in place for agencies to start enrolling and registering individuals, it would be a huge and important step" in speeding adoption of smart cards, Temoshok said.

The infrastructure would include common services for capturing identity and biometric information and the systems needed to record that information, he said.

A separate GSA executive steering committee is studying funding and governance issues and is working to determine which agencies should be responsible for overseeing a shared infrastructure, said Temoshok. Management of the infrastructure could be outsourced, officials said.