Inside This Issue...

The AAMVA and IRP, Inc. offices will be closed on Monday, May 28, 2007, in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday. Both offices will reopen at 8:30 a.m.(ET) on Tuesday, May 29.

On May 24, Sens. Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced an amendment to S. 1348, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 which is being debated by the Senate, in order to protect trade between America and Canada by "improving upon the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative" (WHTI). 

The amendment would establish a pilot program to determine if an enhanced driver's license which is machine-readable and tamper-proof, not valid for certification of citizenship for any purpose other than admission into the United States from Canada, and issued by such State to an individual, would meet WHTI's documentation requirements for entry into the U.S. from Canada at land and sea ports of entry. The pilot would evaluate and recommend  the type of machine-readable technology that should be used based on individual privacy considerations and the costs and feasibility of incorporating any new technology into existing driver's licenses.

The Senate continues consideration and debate on S. 1348, The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, but contentious amendments offered by both parties are expected to delay its passage.

A core bipartisan group of senators, led by Democrats Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Ken Salazar of Colorado, and Republicans Jon Kyl of Arizona and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania — spent the past two months negotiating a compromise package with the White House that was offered as a substitute to placeholder legislation. Party leaders are trying to retain the basic language that allowed for compromise while simultaneously allowing for their colleagues to offer changes via amendment. Party leaders expect the Senate will break away from the immigration debate at some point to clear the way for the fiscal 2007 Iraq War emergency supplemental spending bill instead of concluding official discussion of the bill this week. Among the provisions for immigration reform, S. 1348 includes language that would provide for Cabinet-level officials to enter into a memorandum of understanding with one or more states to conduct a program where an individual's citizenship status is indicated on the driver's license.

The House of Representatives voted May 24, 2007, on a final version of the supplemental appropriations bill for fiscal 2007.  Under a procedure devised by the Democratic leadership and approved by the House in the form of a special rule (H. Res. 438), the House will take up two separate proposed amendments to the Senate amendment to the second House-passed supplemental bill (H.R. 2206). The first amendment contains a package of domestic spending, and the second amendment contains funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under the terms of the rule, if the House passes both amendments they will be combined into one amendment and presented to the Senate. Once the House votes on the package, the Senate will immediately take up the package once it receives the paperwork from the House. The bill included $871 million in supplemental spending for the Federal Highway Administration's emergency relief (ER) program.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reminds travelers to be prepared and plan ahead for security. Passenger preparedness for the security process can have a significant impact on wait times at the checkpoint. Officials from TSA, airports and major airlines anticipate high numbers of passengers between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Resources are available at www.tsa.gov including travel tips, historical airport-by-airport wait times and a detailed list of prohibited items.

The White House recently issued a fact sheet regarding key myths about the proposal for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. "Immigration Fact Check: Responding to Key Myths" is available via the White House Web site.

Pull out those cameras and brush up on those skills! We are looking for the best photo that depicts the theme for our Annual International Conference (AIC) issue of Move, which is "Communicate. Collaborate. Face the Future Together." The selected photo will be used on the cover and viewed by thousands of readers! Be sure to review the submission guidelines and release form. Also make note of the upcoming themes and deadlines for submission. E-mail move@aamva.org with questions...and good luck! The deadline for the AIC issue is June 19, 2007.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has moved it's headquarters to 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590. The new building supports the mission and goals of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The new building provides a modern, functional workspace designed to meet DOT’s program requirements, including information technology and security needs. The 1.35-million-square-foot facility at Southeast Federal Center sits on 11 acres and was designed by international, award-winning architect Michael Graves of Princeton, NJ.

AAMVA is working cooperatively with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the revision of several motorcycle licensing documents to assist motor vehicle administrators on issues relating to the licensing and safety of motorcycle operators. To assist in this effort, the Motorcycle Technical Working Group (MTWG) developed a survey on motorcycle licensing that was sent out to the members in August 2006. 

At the last MTWG meeting, it was decided by NHTSA and the MTWG that the motorcycle survey would be incorporated into the “2007 Guidelines for Motorcycle Operator Licensing.” Therefore, it is imperative that each jurisdiction verify their information. Any changes or corrections to the data can be faxed to (703) 908-5890 or mailed back to AAMVA. Please note that additional questions have been added to the survey and are available online here.  All changes need to be returned to AAMVA by June 6, 2007.

If your jurisdiction did not respond to the initial survey, contact Denise Hanchulak via e-mail or at (703) 908-5767, so one can be forwarded to you.

AAMVA is currently seeking jurisdiction members that will be attending this year’s Motor Vehicle and Traffic Law Institute interested in discussing their latest initiatives in two expanding issue areas – graduated driver licensing and administrative hearing rules and procedures.

If your jurisdiction has implemented or faced specific challenges on these topics and you are interested in helping populate a panel focusing on these issues, AAMVA would love to facilitate that discussion. This year’s Annual Motor Vehicle and Traffic Law Institute is in Pittsburgh, Penn., August 4-8. If you are interested in providing your particular expertise on the subject and willing to discuss it with your peers, please contact AAMVA”s Manager of State Government Affairs, Cian Cashin.

Georgia and Oklahoma are now participating in the Help America Vote Vertification (HAVV). The Help America Vote Act (HAVA–P.L.107-252) requires individuals registering to vote to provide a driver’s license number or the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security Number. HAVA also specifies that a state election official and motor vehicle authority must match the information in the registration database with that in the driver’s license database.  In addition, HAVA requires that the state motor vehicle agency enter into an agreement with the Social Security Administration to verify voter registration information.  The complete list of participating jurisdictions can be found here.  For more information on how to participate in this program, please contact the AAMVA Operations Department at 1-888-226-8280 option #3.

On May 19, 2007, AAMVA successfully executed the annual disaster recovery drill for the Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS).  The CDLIS application was recreated at the backup recovery site, and during the window of 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm (ET), connectivity to AAMVA’s Network Control Software (NCS) was established, tested and verified.  With the assistance of the state of New York, application messages were sent to and from the CDLIS Central File while processing on the backup host, and the results validated.  We would especially like to thank New York for its assistance in this year’s drill, as well as the AAMVA CDLIS community for its support during this important event.

Take your training to a higher level; sign up today for a course with AAMVA University.  AAMVA University can also provide training at your jurisdiction's facility. Visit www.aamva-u.org for details or to register online, or call (866) 908-8270. 

Check out these upcoming classes in Arlington, Va.:   
 

• FDR Level II Course: July 9-12, 2007; cut-off June 22
• FDR Instructor Certification Course: Aug. 13-17, 2007; cut-off July 27 (prerequisite: FDR Level II Course)