Inside This Issue...

Oct. 1 marks the beginning of National Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW). 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. 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. Visit http://www.trafficsafety.org/dsww.asp, for more details.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are planning a major enforcement and education effort Oct. 21-28, 2007. The mission is to improve commercial and non-commercial driver behavior and performance through effective enforcement, education and awareness strategies. During this week, a variety of commercial and non-commercial driver-focused enforcement and outreach activities will occur. CVSA plans to focus on many of the innovative approaches states are already using such as Washington State’s TACT program and the Smooth Operator program in the Mid-Atlantic region. While DOT and CVSA will be supporting this effort at the national level, they encourage law enforcement to provide support at the state, municipal and county level. CVSA has produced a variety of materials and invites you to co-brand with your logo. CVSA will be handling the production and printing of the materials, so there is no cost. Operation Safe Driver promotional pieces, contact information and more are available on AAMVA's Web site.

On Sept. 27, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that all Mexican and U.S. vehicles participating in the ongoing cross-border trucking demonstration project will have to participate in a satellite-based vehicle tracking system under a plan being developed by FMCSA and the government of Mexico’s Secretaria de Communicaciones y Transportes (SCT). In May, the two countries agreed to explore satellite technology as an enforcement tool for the cross-border trucking demonstration project. Satellite terminals will be provided to track the trucks involved in the cross-border demonstration project throughout the continental U.S. and Mexico. The systems will be installed at no cost to the participating trucking companies. The vehicle tracking system will incorporate a global positioning system and wireless technology to accurately determine a vehicle’s position, and will be used to monitor hours of service, cabotage violations (the point-to-point shipping of domestic loads within the U.S.) and date and time of international and state crossings. Vehicles will be tracked by vehicle number and company – no driver information will be collected or tracked. Visit http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ for more information about the Mexican-U.S. cross-border trucking project.

On Sept. 24, 2007, The Department of Homeland Security’s Michael P. Jackson announced his resignation, in a sense reaffirming that the department suffers from too many vacancies in leadership positions and low morale, said House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson. Possible replacements for Jackson mentioned by various homeland security experts and insiders were the head of the Coast Guard, Adm. Thad Allen, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham, DHS Undersecretary for Management Paul A. Schneider, Assistant Secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Julie L. Myers, Office of Management and Budget Associate Director Michael Bopp and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale.

Citing a new national poll in which more than eight out of ten Americans said driver’s licenses should meet minimum national standards, the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) urged Congress on Sept. 24 to provide federal funding for implementation of the Real ID Act as part of Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations. Results of the survey were compiled from interviewing 800 adults nationally. ITAA cited the results in letters to House and Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle, in which it asked Congress to protect $50 million set aside in the House version of the homeland security appropriations bill (H.R. 2638) for Real ID implementation. The survey found that 82 percent of adults favor a nationwide program for new rules and regulations for state-issued driver’s licenses or identification cards designed to help prevent terrorism, identity theft and other crimes. A total of 91 percent of those polled strongly agreed that states should be required to meet national minimum standards for driver’s licenses and IDs to make it harder for criminals to use fake IDs to commit crimes, such as identity theft. In other results, 89 percent of those polled would be willing to provide additional identification information to prove their identity for driver’s licenses. 88 percent would be willing to pay additional cost for a new driver’s license or other ID if it is more secure and resistant to identity theft and other fraud. The ITAA letter and other details from the survey through the ITAA web site. In Congressional action on appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2008, the House of Representatives has set aside $50 million to assist states with the implementation of Real ID, but separately the Senate voted against an amendment that would have allocated $300 million for implementation. The House and Senate are expected to resolve these differences this fall in conference committee or as part of a continuing resolution or other omnibus measure.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has contacted AAMVA about concerns they have received from taxpayers who have had trouble registering their vehicles using the new HVUT (Heavy Vehicle Use Tax) Form 2290 Schedule One issued to electronic filers. In August, the IRS was able to receive the first HVUT Form 2290 filings electronically. This year there is a possibility of at least two different formats and most likely some returns will be filed on the older forms as well. The taxpayers that file electronically are sent a receipted 2290 Schedule One in a PDF file format. The document is sent to the taxpayer electronically and they are to print it and provide at the time of registration as proof of payment of the HVUT. This version of the form, which looks like the old format Schedule One, will have a water mark in the center of the form that says “IRS e-file” and will have the date shown as “Received MM/DD/YYYY” showing the date the tax was paid. The form will have a revision date of 7-2007 in the lower right hand corner. For those who filed on paper tax returns, the returns will most likely be on the new block style form and should be stamped received and dated as in the past. This new form also has a revision date of 7-2007 in the bottom right hand corner. Copies of the new formats of the HVUT Form 2290 Schedule One are available on AAMVA's Web site for your information. Contact Tim Adam via e-mail or (502) 845-0398 with questions.

The Internet-based E-Verify program, now allows employers to access U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records to view a copy of photos from documents some employees present to an employer to prove work eligibility. The employment eligibility verification, or I-9 form, requires employers to examine certain documents to verify if an employee is authorized to work in the United States. 15 million photos have already been added to E-Verify from various employment authorization documents used by non-U.S. citizens. In the future USCIS intends to add photos from visas, driver’s licenses, and other documents presented to an employer to prove work eligibility. Visit the USCIS Web site for more information about the E-Verify program.

Be sure to watch NBC's TODAY show Oct. 2, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., as Neil Schuster, president and CEO, AAMVA, discusses the national problem of vehicle fraud and the role state motor vehicle administrations play in remedying the issue. Please keep in mind, breaking news could always preempt the story. If you miss it, visit http://www.today.msnbc.com.

What would you talk about … if you had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with these federal agencies?

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• Transport Canada
• Federal Highway Administration
• Government Accountability Office
• Department of Homeland Security

Here is your chance! Join AAMVA at the 2007 Fall Workshop in Glendale, Arizona, Nov. 5-8 and take advantage of interactive dialogue with these federal partners and much more! Submit your prepaid registration by Oct. 9 and be entered to win a 30GB iPod! For more program information and to register, visit the 2007 Fall Workshop section of the AAMVA Web site today!

The AAMVA Board of Directors joined with the Boards from Governors Highway Safety Association, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, to adopt a national highway safety goal of reducing fatalities by 1,000 per year; thus saving a cumulative total of over 50,000 lives within the next decade. The goal also stresses the desire to reduce highway fatalities by half over the next two decades. The adoption of this goal includes a promise to communicate as broadly as possible, to key safety partner organizations including the U.S. Department of Transportation and national transportation and highway safety organizations, encouraging them to acknowledge and adopt the same goal.
 
The intent of this resolution is to set a goal that will serve as a guide for the Administration, Congress, states, and other entities involved with highway safety as they work toward the next highway bill reauthorization.  A copy of the Resolution may be found on the AAMVA Web site. For more information, contact Selden Fritschner, Vice President, Law Enforcement via e-mail or at (703) 908-5855.

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 Oct. 26, 2007. 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.