Inside This Issue...

The House Appropriations Transportation-Treasury-HUD-Judiciary-DC Subcommittee has approved a fiscal 2007 spending bill by voice vote without amendment. The subcommittee was allocated $67.8 billion in discretionary funds, which is $3.7 billion more than enacted in FY 2006. The legislation would provide $15.2 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, $35.3 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, $3.9 billion for Community Development Block Grants, and $575 million for the District of Columbia. The measure would fund the federal-aid highways program at $39.1 billion, $3.1 billion more than fiscal 2006 enacted levels (excluding supplemental appropriations). It is also the exact amount requested by President Bush as well as the amount recommended in the SAFETEA-LU law.
 

Beginning June 12, 2006, The Week in Review will be published on Mondays. Previously, the newsletter has been published on Fridays.
 

The Senate has confirmed Richard Capka to head the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Capka was serving as deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. He previously served as chief executive officer and executive director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and served 29 years in the Army Corps of Engineers. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds master’s degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and Chaminade University of Honolulu.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Coast Guard have issued a notice providing the times and locations of public meetings regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Implementation in the Maritime Sector; Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver’s License” and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled “Consolidation of Merchant Mariner Qualification Credentials,” both of which were published in the Federal Register on May 22. Public meetings will be held this year, on Wednesday, May 31, in Newark, NJ; Thursday, June 1, in Tampa, FL; Tuesday, June 6, in St. Louis, MO; and Wednesday, June 7 in Long Beach, CA. The public meetings will be held at the following hotels: In Newark, NJ, at the Sheraton Newark Airport Hotel, 128 Frontage Road, Newark, NJ, 07114; in Tampa Bay, FL at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay Hotel, 2900 Bayport Drive, Tampa, FL, 33607; in St. Louis, MO at the Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport, 9801 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO, 63134; and in Long Beach, CA at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, 111 East Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA, 90802. For questions concerning the public meetings, please contact LCDR Jonathan Maiorine, Commandant, United States Coast Guard, at (877) 687-2243.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule delegating various authorities vested in the Secretary of Transportation by the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” or “SAFETEA-LU” and other laws to the Research and Innovative Technology Administrator, the Federal Highway Administrator, the Federal Railroad Administrator, the National Traffic Highway Safety Administrator, the Federal Transit Administrator, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, and the Under Secretary for Transportation Policy. The rule took effect May 31, 2006. For more information, contact Karen Starring, Attorney Advisor, Office of General Counsel, Department of Transportation, at (202) 366-9314.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is offering grants to develop programs that recruit and train college students to act as nonpartisan poll workers and assistants. The grants are part of the Help America Vote College Program established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002. EAC is awarding up to $250,000 in grant monies to eligible applicants, which included institutions of higher education such as state universities, private colleges and community colleges, and non-profit organizations. The ceiling for individual awards is $20,000. Applications are due no later than June 15, 2006 and must be submitted in hard copy by mail or hand delivery. For information on how to apply and to obtain application forms and instructions, please call (866) 747-1471 or send an e-mail to HAVACollegeProgram@eac.gov. For additional information, go to www.eac.gov.

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has launched "Helping Aging Drivers," an interactive Web site aimed at senior drivers and their families. The Web site provides educational material and techniques to recognize driving ability and limitations, and help through the transition when it becomes time to reduce or stop driving. The site features online tools and resources for drivers to stay mobile behind the wheel for as long as is safely possible, including CarFit, an interactive guide to adapting an existing vehicle for older drivers. It is designed to help senior drivers find out how well they currently fit their vehicle and what actions they might take to improve that fit. The site also has a quiz that permits drivers to gauge their driving performance and an online survey. CAA is a federation of nine automobile clubs serving 4.8 million members through 140 offices across Canada.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released a list of the nation's top areas with the highest vehicle theft rates. For 2005, the ten metropolitan statistical areas with the highest rates are: Modesto, CA; Las Vegas/Paradise, NV; Stockton, CA; Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ; Visalia/Porterville, CA; Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, WA; Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, CA; San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA; Fresno, CA; and Yakima, WA. NICB reviewed data supplied by the National Crime Information Center for  the nation's 360 metropolitan statistical areas. The rate is determined by the number of vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants using the 2004 U.S. Census Population Estimates, the most current figures available. Preliminary data shows that motor vehicle thefts during January through June 2005 have decreased compared with the same period in 2004. This is the second straight year that auto theft has declined. Anyone with information concerning auto theft and insurance fraud can report it anonymously by calling toll-free at 1-800-TEL-NICB. For the complete information on NICB's Hot Spots 2005, visit www.nicb.org.

Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. has contracted the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) to develop guides for courts and probation agencies to help with the implementation and administration of SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring) devices. The guides will educate and inform criminal justice professionals about how SCRAM can complement the supervision of alcohol abusing offenders. They will also provide guidelines to assist agency administrators and front-line professionals with incorporating SCRAM into existing organizational practices.

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• Maryland - Transfer of US Gov't/Military License (Ends 6/16/2006)
• Social Security Documentation (Ends 7/31/2006)