AAMVA and IRP, Inc. Offices Close for Independence Day 
AAMVA and IRP, Inc. offices will be closed on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. Offices will reopen for regular business hours on Wednesday, July 5 at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
House Passes SAFETEA-LU Corrections Bill
On June 28, 2006, the House of Representatives, by voice vote, passed
H.R. 5689, a bill making both technical and substantive corrections to the 2005 SAFETEA-LU surface transportation authorization legislation (Public Law 109-59). Corrections to the bill impacting state motor vehicle and law enforcement agencies include redefining the term “repeat intoxicator driver law” to remove the requirement that second-offense drunk drivers have their license suspended for one year in order for the state to avoid financial penalties. The amendment would require that states either suspend the license for one year or suspend it for 45 days and then allow limited driving privileges with driver breathalyzer interlock devices installed on all vehicles.
House Passes Appropriations Bill, Includes Language for NMVTIS Funding
The House Committee on Appropriations released a detailed
press release addressing the passage of the FY07 Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Bill. Funding includes $22.1 billion for the Department of Justice, which provides $2.7 billion for assistance to state and local law enforcement for crime fighting initiatives, including $100 million for law enforcement technologies and interoperability. The bill also contains language authorizing funding the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) in FY07.
NHTSA Issues Proposed Guidelines on Impaired Driving Records Systems
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued proposed guidelines on the types and formats of data that states should collect relating to drivers who are arrested or convicted for violation of laws prohibiting the impaired operation of motor vehicles, as directed by Section 2007(c) of SAFETEA-LU. Written comments must be received by July 28, 2006. Comments should refer to Proposed Guidelines on Impaired Driving Records Information Systems and be submitted to Docket No. NHTSA-2006-24872. For more information contact NHTSA’s Impaired Driving Division, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-1694.
NHTSA Publishes Final Rule Making Technical Amendments to Vehicle Safety Hotline
On June 21, 2005, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a final rule that made technical amendments to several regulations that reference NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline telephone number. The rule updated the Hotline telephone number and added the Web address to the information that NHTSA requires manufacturers and dealers to provide consumers. The effective date for those amendments to Part 571, federal motor vehicle safety standards, Part 575, Consumer information; and Part 582, Insurance cost information regulation, is June 21, 2006. This document withdraws the June 21, 2005 amendments to part 571, in response to a request from General Motors and other motor vehicle manufacturers to have the effective date coincide with the traditional September 1 vehicle model year changeover date, this document changes the effective date of the amendments to September 1, 2006. This rule withdraws the amendments published at 70 FR 35556, June 21, 2005 to part 571. This rule delays the effective date of amendments to 49 CFR parts 575 and 582 published on June 21, 2005 from June 21, 2006 until September 1, 2006. The amendments to § 571.213 in this document are effective September 1, 2006. Voluntary compliance is permitted before that time. For further information, contact Deirdre Fujita, NHTSA Office of Chief Counsel, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-2992.
NHTSA Amends List of Conforming Products for Breath Alcohol Testing Devices
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued
amendments to the Conforming Products List published in 2004 for instruments that conform to the Model Specifications for Evidential Breath testing Devices. The amendments are effective June 29, 2006. For more information, contact Dr. Maria E. Vegega, Office of Behavioral Safety Research, Behavioral Research Division (NTI-131), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; (202) 366-4892.
FMCSA Renews CDL Exemption for Isuzu Motors America, Inc.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced its decision to renew Isuzu Motors America, Inc.’s (Isuzu), exemption from the Agency’s requirement for drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Isuzu requested that its exemption for 19 Japanese engineers and technicians be renewed to enable these individuals to continue test driving CMVs in the United States for Isuzu. All of the individuals hold a valid Japanese CDL. FMCSA believes the knowledge and skills testing and training program that drivers must undergo for a Japanese CDL ensures a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be obtained by complying with the U.S. requirement for a CDL. This decision is effective June 21, 2006. Comments must be received on or before July 21, 2006.
FMCSA Gives Notice of Intent to Establish a System of Records
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced the Department of Transportation (DOT) intends to establish a system of records under the Privacy Act of 1974. If no comments are received, the proposal will become effective on July 21, 2006. If comments are received, the comments will be considered and, where adopted, the documents will be republished with changes. For further information, contact Kara Spooner, DOT, Office of the Secretary, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, at (202) 366-1965 or
kara.spooner@dot.gov.
FMCSA Offers CMVO Safety Training Grant Opportunity
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently announced a grant opportunity for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operator safety training, as established by SAFETEA-LU. The grant opportunity has three goals: (1) To develop and pilot and enhanced safety training curriculum as part of an overall CDL training program; (2) To expand the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training to further reduce CMV crashes; (3) To assist economically distressed regions of the U.S. by providing workforce training for qualified individuals to come CMV operators. Eligible awardees include state governments. All grant proposals must be received by July 24, 2006. the application package must include a detailed project proposal and an estimate of the number of drivers expected to benefit from the grant. Applicants may apply electronically at www.grants.gov or by mail at FMCSA, State Programs Division, MC-ESS400 7th St., SW, Suite 8314, Washington, DC 20590. For more information, contact Michael Lamm at (202) 366-6830.
Development of Credit Card-Sized Passport Stalled by Technology Debate
The State Department and Department of Homeland Security announced in January that they would create the credit card-sized passport equivalent for land border crossings by U.S. citizens. The new card would fulfill requirements in the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (PL 108-458) that requires U.S. citizens entering or leaving the United States via land to have a passport or passport equivalent by Jan.1, 2008. However, interagency debate over which technology is hindering progress. DHS favors the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that could read a card from a longer range than other proposed technology, but the State Department and others have expressed concerns about that technology’s privacy implications. The State Department favors a shorter range, or “proximity,” reader of identification cards. It is anticipated that the two departments will issue a rulemaking in the fall.
Roundtable Held on Teen Driving Injury Prevention
On June 21-22, the State & Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held a Teen Driving Injury Prevention Roundtable in Atlanta, Georgia. Its purpose was to develop strategies for collaboration on preventing adolescent-related motor vehicle crashes and their resulting deaths and injuries. Twelve inter-disciplinary state teams met to develop these strategies. Disciplines included highway departments and motor vehicle agencies, driver’s education, law enforcement, offices of adolescent and school health, nonprofit organizations and more.
Presentations are available.
AAA Releases Teen Driver Study, AAMVA Offers Online Study Guide Capability to States
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation have released a study called
Reducing the Crash Risk for Young Drivers. The study provides insights into why younger drivers who are protected by GDL continue to crash at unacceptably high levels, and suggests complementary measures such as driver education and parental involvement to supplement GDL. Along with the report, AAA issued
Teens and Parents: Find What You Need on DMV Web Sites. AAMVA encourages jurisdictions to review this item for ideas on how to improve DMV Web pages to address teen drivers and GDL programs. AAMVA also offers
Driving101.org to the states at no charge. This online study guide, tailored to each state's law and regulations, offers a resource to all new drivers and those preparing for a retest.
WANTED: Your PR Success Stories
The AAMVA PACE Discipline is looking for a few good public relations stories to highlight. Particularly, we are interested in Using PR to Communicate REAL ID Impacts/Changes; Innovative PR Campaigns Funded thru Highway Safety Grants; PR Campaigns that Communicate Anti-Fraud Measures; Measuring your PR Campaign's Results; and Effective PR Partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations. If you have what we're looking for, e-mail a one paragraph synopsis of your project to Jason King at
jking@aamva.org by Friday, July 7.
AAMVA’s Law Institute Is Only a Few Weeks Away
Information on AAMVA's annual Motor Vehicle & Traffic Law Institute is now available in the events section of AAMVA's Web site. The Motor Vehicle & Traffic Law Institute will take place in Denver, Colorado, July 29 - August 2. The AAMVA law institute offer your agency the unique opportunity to network and discuss the latest legal trends with attorneys, administrators and law enforcement officials from across the United States and Canada. Register today!
Register Now for AAMVA's Annual International Conference
Chair of the Board Bonnie Rutledge, Vermont, invites you to Burlington, Vermont, Aug. 27-31 for AAMVA's 2006 Annual International Conference. The program and registration are now available online. Visit the
AIC section of the Web to register!
Share Information with Other Jurisdictions
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.
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