Inside This Issue...

On Aug. 1, 2007, American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Bill Graves held a press conference and urged Congress to authorize and fund a centralized clearinghouse for positive drug and alcohol testing results of commercial motor vehicle drivers to ensure that motor carrier employers are aware of previous positive test results during the hiring process. The federal government required drug and alcohol testing of commercial truck drivers in 1995. The percentage of drug abuse in the trucking industry has remained between 2 percent and 2.5 percent of the truck driver population since required testing began. ATA’s call for a national clearinghouse is part of a comprehensive trucking industry highway safety initiative that has produced a record low crash rate. Other ATA safety initiatives include a call for universal primary safety belt laws in the 50 states, greater enforcement of traffic laws against unsafe driving actions around large trucks and a limit on the maximum speed of large trucks to 68 miles per hour. For more information and to listen to the press conference, visit ATA's Web site.

The RAND Corporation has released a report that explores risks posed by drivers 65 years of age and older. According to a summary of the report, though older drivers are relatively safe drivers, they are highly vulnerable to fatal injury if they are involved in a crash. Click here to read the report:  http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7952

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has posted on its Web site, and will publish on Aug. 6, 2007, in the Federal Register, four Privacy Act records involving the Automated Targeting System (ATS). The records are an updated System of Records Notice (SORN), the Discussion of Public Comments Received on the SORN, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Privacy Act Exemptions, and a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA). In doing so, the department has strengthened privacy protections for all individuals traveling in to and out of the United States. ATS assists U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) frontline officers in frustrating the ability of terrorists to gain entry into the United States, enforcing all import and export laws, and facilitating legitimate trade and travel across our borders. Following publication on Nov. 2, 2006 of the initial SORN, the department received several hundred comments on the SORN and PIA, many of which concerned ATS-P, the passenger screening module used by CBP officers. The department responded to these comments by revising the SORN. View the press release and related documentation on the DHS Web site.

Things have gotten quiet on the Hill as the House and Senate begin their summer recess. The House started summer recess Aug. 6 and will return for session on Aug. 31. The Senate's summer recess will run from Aug. 6 to Sept. 3.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report in July entitled "Border Security: Security of New Passports and Visas Enhanced, but More Needs to Be Done to Prevent Their Fraudulent Use." GAO was asked to examine the features of U.S. passports and visas and how information on the features is shared; the integrity of the issuance process for these documents; and how these documents are inspected at U.S. ports of entry. In the report, GAO recommends that the Departments of State and Homeland Security better plan for new generations of passports and visas, address potential vulnerabilities in the acceptance process of U.S. passport applications, utilize the electronic features of the new e-passport, better use the biometric feature of Border Crossing Cards, and provide inspectors with systematic training prior to the issuance of new travel documents. View the entire report online at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071006.pdf.

The National Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW) is an annual week devoted to improving the safety and health of the nation's workforce by promoting safe driving practices at their place of business. The campaign week is always the first full week in October. During the campaign week this year (Oct. 1-5, 2007) the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) will celebrate the 11th year of DSWW. This year's campaign theme is "Take Charge of YOUR Driving Behavior. Reduce YOUR Crash Risk." The theme addresses five common "high-risk" driving mistakes and provides tips that each driver can take to avoid these mistakes and ensure their safety and the safety of others. This year the campaign will also ask that every participant make the "Commitment to Safe Driving." More information will be made available as the campaign week nears. Until then, visit http://www.trafficsafety.org/dsww.asp, for more details.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) introduced stand-alone legislation (HR 3248) on Aug. 31, 2007, to make up for the provisions for the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) corrections that were dropped from the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) conference report (HR 1495). The SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections legislation (HR 3248) has been read twice and was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Aug. 3. If Congress is not able to clear the legislation this week, the bill will have to be redrafted over the August recess in order to push FY 2007 obligation authority changes into FYs 2008 and 2009.

AAMVA is pleased to announce that New York has successfully loaded its VIN pointer and brand data into the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). New York will participate as a batch state, providing daily updates. With the addition of New York's data, 60 percent of the U.S. vehicle population is now represented in NMVTIS. Congratulations New York! For more information about how to participate in NMVTIS, contact Marney Michalowski, NMVTIS Program Manager.

AAMVA is actively seeking a qualified individual to fill the Director of Driver Fitness position within the Programs Division. This position is responsible for the development, coordination, monitoring and disseminating of information in the following areas: Younger Driver, Older Driver, Driver Fitness, Driver Improvement, Graduated Driver's License, and Financial Responsibility and Insurance. Additional responsibilities include serving as staff liaison to committees, subcommittees and working groups in these areas as well as serving as the staff liaison to the Financial Responsibility and Insurance (FR&I) discipline. A job description and submission guidelines are available on AAMVA's Web site. More details are also available in the job advertisement.

Take your professional training and skills to a higher level; sign up today for the FDR Instructor Certification Course with AAMVA University. The course is tentatively scheduled to be held in Arlington, Virginia, from Oct. 22 to 26, 2007. The dates will be confirmed upon receipt of a minimum of 10 registrations; the deadline for which is Oct. 5. The prerequisite for enrollment is successful completion of the FDR Level II Course, which comprises Levels I&II. AAMVA University can also provide training at your jurisdiction's facility. Visit www.aamva-u.org for details on how to register, or contact aamvauniversity@aamva.org.

If you haven’t already done so, please respond to the following surveys:

• Illinois – Social Security Numbers and Religious Beliefs (Ends 08/17/2007)
• South Dakota – Marketing Plate with Owner (Ends 08/31/2007)