Inside This Issue...

AAMVA and IRP, Inc. offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 21 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Offices will reopen at 8:30 a.m. (EST) on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

On Jan. 17, members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) were briefed on the outstanding six requests from states to change the state instructions on the National Voter Registration Form. The Commission unanimously approved Commissioner Caroline Hunter's proposal to add language to the EAC Web site notifying the public that the Commission has not yet acted on these requests. As of Dec. 18, 2007, the following states have requested a change to their state instructions: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. The Commission has not yet approved these requests. This language is available on the Register to Vote page on the EAC Web site. The Commission discussed but did not consider an interim NVRA policy submitted by Commissioner Hillman. In response to a directive issued at the December 2007 public meeting, EAC staff provided revised recommendations for an interim procedure to update the National Voter Registration Form. Staff also updated the Commission on pending requests from states. For more information and to view other documents related to the Jan. 17 public meeting, click here.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released "Roadway Safety for Motorcycles," featuring tips for designing, constructing, and maintaining roadways for increased motorcycle safety. Download the document today. For more information on motorcycle safety, visit FHWA's Motorcycle Advisory Council Web site.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reminds travelers that beginning Jan. 31, 2008, border crossers will be asked to present documents denoting citizenship and identity when entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry. This change primarily affects United States and Canadian citizens, who have previously been permitted entry by oral declaration alone, and marks the transition toward standard and consistent documents for all travelers entering the country. It is also the start of a more robust and concerted public education campaign, intended to inform travelers of document requirements, which will be implemented next year. Beginning Jan. 31 of this year, U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and older should no longer expect that an oral declaration alone will be sufficient to prove identity and citizenship for entry into the country. A complete list of acceptable documents is available to travelers at ports of entry and is also available at www.cbp.gov. Travelers who do not present one of these documents may be delayed while U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers attempt to verify their identity and citizenship. Children ages 18 and under will only need to present a birth certificate. For more information, visit www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state.gov. View the entire press release.

On Jan. 15, the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission released a broad new report detailing its recommendations for the next highway reauthorization. The report was based on numerous hearings across the nation at which highway interests, including the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), testified. GHSA released a statement saying that while it mostly supports the report’s safety recommendations, it is concerned that the Commission has recommended state safety "standards" be set by the U.S. Department of Transportation through "consultations with safety interests including state and local departments of transportation and other governmental units."  Currently, state safety goals are set by the states as dictated by numerous federal statutes including the Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Further, state highway safety programs are already based on performance measures and performance outcomes. GHSA strongly objects to any effort to give the federal government greater authority over state goal-setting and program implementation. View the entire statement on the GHSA Web site. The Commission report is available online at www.transportationfortomorrow.org. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has reopened its search for a new Transportation Specialist in the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Division of its Washington, D.C. office. The vacancy announcement will remain open until Feb. 4, 2008. View full details and application procedures online.

The next AAMVA Chief Information Officer (CIO) Outreach conference call is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, from 4:00 to 5:00pm (EST). These meetings address information technology issues that are relevant to the CIOs of motor vehicle administrators (in both the U.S. and Canada) and concerns that are relevant to their day-to-day jobs. Copies of the draft agendas and minutes from previous meetings can be found in the Information Technology Discipline section of AAMVA's Web site. (The conference call telephone number and conference ID can be found at the top of the agendas.) Please send requests for future agenda topics to Greg Sensiba via e-mail or at (703) 908-2822.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker encouraged the motorcoach industry to partner with federal regulators and embrace technological innovations that can prevent accidents. Calling the development of enhanced vehicle safety technologies "one of the most encouraging developments in transportation safety in a very long time," Rosenker cited electronic stability control, and systems that provide drivers warnings to prevent lane departures and imminent collisions as among the technologies that, if implemented, have the potential to further improve motorcoach safety. Rosenker also emphasized the importance of crash testing to help federal regulators and the industry better understand crashworthiness issues. Rosenker also announced that in 2008 the Safety Board would likely issue two reports involving motorcoaches in its continuing efforts to find ways to improve safety for travelers on the nation's highways. The full text of Chairman Rosenker's speech is available on NTSB's Web site.

AAMVA is now accepting applications for its AAMVA/Nick Denice Memorial Fellowship Awards at the John F. Kennedy School of Government's Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University. This award is open to AAMVA members who are chief motor vehicle and law enforcement officials from the United States and Canada; AAMVA or IRP, Inc. Board of Directors members and AAMVA International Standing Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs. Read about the experience of last year's recipient, Col. Jeffrey Miller, Pennsylvania. Don't miss the application deadline of Feb. 7, 2008.

Is your information ready for the AAMVA members-only, online community directory? Visit My AAMVA at www.aamva.org today to update your information and manage your preferences. Need help registering or navigating the page? Checkout the online tutorials!

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

• Vermont – Transfer on Death Provision for Titles & Regs (Ends 01/28/08)
• Rhode Island – Two Plates to One Plate (Ends 01/28/2008)

"Write a 'blog,' make it 'pithy' and it can be as long or short as you want. Those were the instructions from Jason King when he asked me to 'guest blog' as a past chair of the board to commemorate AAMVA’s 75th anniversary. Well, I know a little bit about blogs. They encourage you to speak your mind, right? Pithy? Well, that sounded a little 'terse,' 'curt' and to the point. That would be a challenge for me. But, as long or short as I want, that I could deal with. So, here goes..." Read Betty Serian's blog.

You're in luck, your script writer for the 2008 PACE Awards is NOT a member of the Writers Guild of America. So, your coveted PACE Awards program remains intact and on target for AAMVA's 75th Annual International Conference in Florida later this year. Now, dig out those communication projects from the past year, shine 'em up and enter them in the 2008 PACE Awards. May the most effective communication projects win! For more information, contact Sam Fernandez or Jason King.

Do you have someone or a team or the whole agency that deserves to be recognized as a leader in providing great customer service? If so, submit your nominations for the Customer Service Excellence (CSE) Awards before Feb. 4, 2008. Visit the CSE Awards Web page for more information. For more information, please contact Dianne Graham via e-mail or at (703) 522-4200.