Inside This Issue...

The House of Representatives will hold hearings on the Senate-passed immigration overhaul bill (S 2611).  The hearings will take place in July and August in towns and cities across the country so lawmakers can get details out to Americans and gain feedback. Committees involved include the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Education, and the Workforce panels. The Senate's version of the bill would allow most illegal immigrants to stay in the United States and earn citizenship, as well as create a guest worker program. The House-passed version (HR 4437) focuses instead on improved border security and enforcement. Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., announced Wednesday that he will match the House by holding his own series of hearings on the Senate reform plan beginning July 5.  Specter said he has been discussing the legislation with House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., R-Wis., and remains confident the House and Senate will iron out their differences and send legislation to President Bush this year.

A House Homeland Security panel Thursday approved a bill that would create a new category of sensitive materials in trucking regulations, marking the first step in an attempt to clarify confusing hazardous materials regulations. The measure (HR 5604), approved by voice vote, came before the Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity Subcommittee. It would limit fingerprint-based record checks to drivers hauling a limited list of materials considered to be a security risk.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is holding a public listening session in San Diego, Calif.,  June 29, 2006. This meeting is intended to continue dialogue on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) program for interstate commercial motor vehicle drivers and the comprehensive review of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations medical standards. All interested parties are encouraged to attend, including medical examiners, motor carriers, drivers, representatives of medical associations, certification and accreditation organizations, medical training organizations, state motor carrier enforcement agencies and safety organizations. To register, see the NRCME Web site. Registration will also be held at the hotel on the day of the meeting from 8 to 9 am. More information on the 2006 Public Listening Sessions is available on the NRCME Web site.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced its plan to request the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) approval of an information collection associated with the agency’s Medical Examiner Performance Study. This information collection effort would gather survey, on-site observation, and interview data on the decision-making process of medical examiners (MEs) who conduct FMCSA physical examinations of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The survey would consist of a sample of the several different practitioner types for the purpose of assessing ME knowledge of key elements required for CMV interstate driver certification. The survey would also provide these medical practitioners with an opportunity to report perceived difficulties associated with the CMV driver physical examination process. Comments must be received on or before Aug. 18, 2006. You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-2006-24673 via the Web site at http://dmses.dot.gov, fax to (202) 493-2251, mail to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. DOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-0001, or via the federal regulations portal at http://www.regulations.gov.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it has received a petition or formal request from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for a determination whether the state may continue to require motor carriers to display weight-mile tax credentials. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) prohibits states from requiring motor carriers to display in, or on, commercial motor vehicles any form of identification other than forms required by the Secretary of Transportation. However, SAFETEA-LU also provides that a state may continue to require display of credentials that are required under a state law regarding motor <vehicle> license plates or other displays that the Secretary determines are appropriate. ODOT requested that FMCSA make a determination that its weight-mile tax credentials are appropriate under SAFETEA-LU. Comments must be received on or before July 13, 2006. You may submit comments identified by Docket No. FMCSA-2006-25004, using any of the following methods: Web Site at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit; fax to (202) 493-2251; mail to the Docket Management Facility; U.S. DOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-0001; or use the federal regulations portal at http://www.regulations.gov.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that a Medical Review Board (MRB) Public Meeting will be held in August. The meeting will provide the public an opportunity to observe and participate in MRB deliberations about the revision and development of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR) medical standards, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The MRB meeting is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., August 31, 2006. A public listening session will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The meeting will take place at the U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-2230, Washington, DC 20590-0001. The public must enter through the Southwest Visitor Entrance and comply with building security procedures, including provision of appropriate identification prior to escort to meeting room. View the notice in the Federal Register for more details. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends its September 27, 2002, final rule concerning protection against shifting and falling cargo for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) operated in interstate commerce in response to petitions for rulemaking from the American Trucking Association (ATA), Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Georgia-Pacific Corporation (Georgia-Pacific) and Weyerhaeuser, and in response to issues raised by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), the Forest Resources Association, Inc. (FRA), the Washington Contract Loggers Association and the Washington Log Truckers Conference (WCLA/WLTC), and the Timber Producers Association of Michigan and Wisconsin (TPA). The amendments make the final rule more consistent with the December 18, 2000, notice of proposed rulemaking to adopt the North American Cargo Securement Standard Model Regulations. This final rule also includes several editorial revisions to the 2002 final rule. For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov any time or to Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. The rule is effective July 24, 2006. The publication incorporated by reference in this final rule is approved by the Director of the Office of the Federal Register as of July 24, 2006. For further information, contact Mr. Michael Huntley, Chief of the Vehicle and Roadside Operations Division, FMCSA, 202-366-4009.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has submitted a request for emergency processing of a public information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapters 35). The Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to OMB for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden. Comments should be directed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Highway Administration. OMB Approval has been requested by July 14th, 2006. View the Federal Register notice for more details. 

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation is holding its 43rd Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, June 27 from 9 to 11:30 am in Toronto. The meeting is an opportunity to meet TIRF staff and members of the Board, as well as hear about current traffic safety initiatives. Topics at the meeting will include: Alcohol interlocks: how should we measure success?; Is technology a panacea for enhancing traffic safety?; Why do young drivers protected by GDL still crash?; The deterrent effects of short term license suspension; and, Distracted driving needs attention. The meeting is at the Bank of Montreal Building, 68th Floor, York Room, First Canadian Place, 100 King Street West, Toronto. If you plan on attending, contact Dean Morin at deanm@trafficinjuryresearch.com. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta sent a resignation letter to President Bush on June 20. Mineta served in the position for more than five years. His retirement is effective July 7. View the letter on the U.S. Department of Transportation's Web site at http://www.dot.gov/affairs/MinetaLetter.pdf. 

Plans for the 73rd Annual International Conference are well underway. Chair of the Board Bonnie Rutledge of Vermont and the conference staff have developed a dynamic program and terrific social events. The program and registration are now available online. Visit the AIC section of the Web to register! Plan to join Chair Rutledge for a great time in Burlington, Vt., August 27-31, 2006.

AAMVA is conducting a needs assessment related to customer service delivery. Please take a few minutes to respond to this survey so that we may learn how we can better serve the needs of the AAMVA community. Please respond by June 30, 2006. Contact Member and Conference Services at info@aamva.org if you need a user ID and password.

The joint FMCSA – AAMVA HVUT ad hoc working group met Tuesday June 20, 2006 at AAMVA Headquarters with representatives from the IRS, FMCSA, FHWA and jurisdictions to continue discussions on the automation of the Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT). The meeting was held to discuss data elements requirements for the electronic filing of HVUT and the data structure for jurisdictions electronic verification. At this point the IRS is working to gather as much information as it can to ensure that they capture all the required data and are able to provide such data for the states to be able to verify the tax status on a particular vehicle. The minutes of the meeting are currently being compiled and will be made available on the AAMVA web site under the MCS Discipline section as soon as they are completed. Watch for future updates as things move forward with the HVUT process. For additional information contact Tim Adams, AAMVA MCS Program Director by phone at (502) 845-0398 or by email at Tadams@aamva.org. 

CIO Roundtable added to the program for Wednesday, June 28 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. This time will be spent in open forum discussing issues of concern and interest to the CIOs in Region IV. Come prepared to share your successes and challenges. For more information, contact Philippe Guiot, AAMVA CIO.
 

Please share information with your fellow jurisdictions by responding to these surveys. Contact Member & Conference Services at info@aamva.org if you need a user ID and password.

• Ontario – Road Test Policy (Ends 6/27/2006)
• Ontario – Use of Panel Vans for Passenger Vehicle Road Tests (Ends 6/27/2006)
• California – DL/ID Card Security Features Testing (Ends 6/30/2006)
• Wisconsin – Staffing Studies (Ends 7/14/2006)