Inside This Issue...

According to the Office of Management and Budget Web site, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) filed the final rule for Real ID. OMB has up to 90 days to review the final rules for stricter driver's licensing standards. The regulation is designed to implement the Real ID Act, which prohibits federal agencies from accepting a driver's license or personal identification card for an official purpose unless it has been issued by a state that has certified to, and been determined by DHS to meet, the requirements of the Act. The Act sets forth minimum document requirements, minimum issuance standards and other requirements, which include information and security features that must be incorporated into each card, the information that must be provided by an applicant to establish identity and immigration status before a card can be issued, and physical security standards for locations where licenses are produced.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report regarding the Transportation Security Administration's Processes for Designating and Releasing Sensitive Security Information. The report explained that since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, federal agencies face the challenge of protecting sensitive information from terrorists and others without a need to know while sharing this information with parties who have such a need. One form of protection involves identifying and marking information sensitive but unclassified. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that certain information be protected from public disclosure as part of its responsibility for securing all modes of transportation. TSA, through its authority to protect information as sensitive security information (SSI), prohibits the public disclosure of information obtained or developed in the conduct of security activities that, for example, would be detrimental to transportation security. According to TSA, SSI may be generated by TSA, other DHS agencies, airports, aircraft operators and other regulated parties when they, for example, establish or implement security programs or create documentation to address security requirements. DHS revised its Management Directive to address the need for updating SSI guidance. TSA established more extensive SSI criteria and examples that respond to requirements in the DHS Appropriations Act and GAO’s 2005 recommendation that establishes guidance and procedures for using TSA regulations to determine what constitutes SSI. TSA's SSI Office is in the process of providing SSI training to all TSA employees and contractors in accordance with recently established policies and procedures. Consistent with the legislative mandate, DHS took action to update its processes to respond to requests to release SSI. Internal controls that TSA designed for SSI are consistent with government-wide requirements and respond to the GAO 2005 recommendation. To learn more, read the full report.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker praised the National Safety Council's Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign for advocating primary enforcement seat belt laws and for its leadership in improving passenger safety.  The Campaign was founded in response to 1995 Safety Board recommendations that asked automobile manufacturers to warn parents of the dangers that air bags posed to children, and will cease operations at the end of this year. During its decade long existence, the Campaign assisted in bringing about a cultural shift in the way children 12 and under are transported in vehicles—in a rear seat. It also spearheaded national adoption of the Click It or Ticket program and fostered a massive national annual law enforcement mobilization to enforce seat belt use laws. These initiatives helped achieve a national seat belt use rate of more than 82 percent, a 21-percentage-point increase. Furthermore, the Campaign's efforts led to the adoption of primary enforcement seat belt use laws in states covering about two-thirds of the U.S. population, compared to less than 40 percent when the Campaign began.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced an opportunity to apply for FY 2008 funding for the CMV Operator Safety Training Grant on the grants.gov Web site. This opportunity was established by Section 4134 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, Pub. L. 109-59).The legislation requires grant recipients to train current and future drivers in the safe operation of CMVs, as defined in Section 31301 of Title 49, U.S. Code. Funding priority will be given to regional or multi-state educational or nonprofit associations serving economically distressed regions of the United States. Eligible awardees can also include state governments, local governments, and accredited post-secondary educational institutions (public or private) such as colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools and truck driver training schools. To apply for funding, applicants must first be registered with grants.gov. FMCSA will consider funding of applications submitted by Jan. 5, 2008 from qualified applicants. If additional funding remains available, applications submitted after Jan. 5, 2008 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced that the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) will hold a committee meeting from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 6, 2007, and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Dec. 7, 2007. The MCSAC was formed in FMCSA by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a requirement of Section 4144 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, Pub. L. 109-59). This committee provides advice and recommendations to the FMCSA Administrator on motor carrier safety programs and motor carrier safety regulations. The advisory committee operates in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App 2). The upcoming meeting is open to the public and FMCSA invites participation by all interested parties, including motor carriers, drivers, and representatives of motor carrier associations. Written comments must be received by Jan. 7, 2008.

If a motor carrier operates a truck or bus in interstate or international commerce, then the federal Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Agreement applies. The UCR Agreement requires individuals and companies that operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate or international commerce to register their business with a base state and pay an annual fee based on the size of their fleet. A “Commercial Motor Vehicle” is defined as a self-propelled or towed vehicle used on the highways in commerce principally to transport passengers or cargo, if the vehicle:
(a) has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds, whichever is greater;
(b) is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation;
(c) is designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver, and is not used to transport passengers for compensation; or
(d) is used in transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding. Carriers must register immediately in order to operate in interstate commerce. Online registration is recommended.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation has issued a Request for Information for a redesign of their Driver License system.  The RFI can be accessed from the link NDDOT RFI for DL System Redesign or from the NDDOT Home Page at http://www.dot.nd.gov.  The due date for the response is Jan. 25, 2008. 

FMCSA recently announced a job opening for a Transportation Specialist to serve as a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Program expert in the CDL Division, Office of Safety Programs, Office of the Associate Administrator of Enforcement and Program Delivery, at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The CDL Division is responsible for ensuring state compliance with the federal CDL program requirements and working with the states to improve highway safety by ensuring that drivers of large trucks and buses are qualified to operate those vehicles and removing unsafe and unqualified drivers from the highways. Read the full description.

The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has announced the availability of grants for states to develop the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).  Mandated under the Anti Car Theft Act of 1992, NMVTIS was designed to allow the titling agency to instantly and reliably verify the information on the paper title with the electronic data from the state that issued the title. In addition, the system provides law enforcement with a tool to assist in reducing auto theft and vehicle title-related crimes. Where implemented, NMVTIS has already produced results, including time and cost savings, reductions in consumer wait time, decreases in motor vehicle thefts, improved recovery rate of stolen vehicles, increased ability to identify cloned vehicles prior to title issuance and improved investigative abilities. The goal of this grant initiative is to increase the number of states currently providing data to NMVTIS and to assist states that are currently moving toward a fully online connectivity where data is shared real-time and instant title checks occur before a title is issued. The closing date for applications is Jan. 10, 2008.  Full information on the grant solicitation is available on the grant resource page.

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

Connecticut – SAVE Program (Ends 12/11/2007)
Florida – Driver Education (Ends 12/07/2007)
Florida – Personalized License Plates (Ends 12/05/2007)

In June 2007, AAMVA announced it would move WAN customers to a new network platform by July 2009. The network, known as AAMVAnet™, has been a dependable platform for member jurisdictions and other customers, but recent notice from the current vendor, AT&T, revealed that it will no longer support the current network past July 2009. AAMVA seized the opportunity to migrate to a provider with a more robust, scalable, modern and secure platform. The infrastructure is now in place to bridge the two networks during migration. Contracts and Verizon pricing have been finalized and the first customer orders have been placed. AAMVA staff will work diligently with each AAMVAnet™ customer to migrate to the WAN and the new vendor by July 2009. However, in order to experience the new service advantages, such as encryption, AAMVA recommends you contact your network account manager today to schedule your migration.

Help us reflect on our 75 years of service and security! Sign the AAMVA online guest book and share your fondest AAMVA memories and even submit your favorite photo for the photo gallery! The guest book and photo gallery will be publicized on the AAMVA Web site. While you are visiting AAMVA 75 online, read the blogs submitted by previous AAMVA Chairs of the Board. Submit your memory today!