Comment Period Extended for CDL Testing & Learner's Permit Standards 
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has extended the public comment period for the Commercial Learners Permit and Testing NPRM from June 9, 2008 to July 9, 2008. The notice was published in the Federal Register on Monday, June 9, 2008 and can be viewed at http://www.federalregister.gov, (docket # FMCSA-2007-27659). AAMVA distributed
a matrix on April 16 to assist states in evaluating the rule. E-mail
Karen Morton or
Pam Walker a copy of your jurisdiction’s comments for the record so AAMVA can use the jurisdiction comments as the basis for the Association comments for the docket.
New Online System for Visa Waiver Travelers Increases Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the Interim Final Rule for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a new online system that is part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and is required by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. ESTA will determine if an individual is eligible for VWP travel, and if such travel poses any law enforcement or security risks. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, and once approved, will be valid for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. Authorizations will also be valid for multiple entries into the U.S. To facilitate the authorization process, DHS recommends that ESTA applications be submitted as soon as an applicant begins planning U.S.-bound travel, and not less than 72 hours prior to travel. On Aug. 1, 2008, DHS will begin to accept voluntary applications through the ESTA Web site at
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Until ESTA is mandatory for all VWP travelers, however, ESTA applicants will also still need to complete an I-94W form en-route, for presentation at a U.S. port of entry. The Secretary of Homeland Security is anticipated to publish a notice in the
Federal Register by mid-November 2008, announcing implementation of mandatory ESTA requirements on Jan. 12, 2009. View the
press release for more information.
Notice of Public Meeting and Request for Comments on Quiet Cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is having a public meeting to bring together government policymakers, stakeholders from the blind community, industry representatives and public interest groups to discuss the safety of blind pedestrians encountering quiet cars including hybrids, all-electric vehicles and quiet internal combustion engine vehicles. This public meeting and the request for information, is an opportunity for an exchange among interested parties, as well as the public, on the technical and safety policy issues related to increasingly quieter cars and blind pedestrians. The public meeting will be held on June 23, 2008, from 9am to 3pm at the Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, DC. Written comments may be submitted to the agency and must be received no later than Aug. 1, 2008. More details are available in the
May 30 Federal Register notice.
Hearing on Electronic Employment Verification
On June 10 at 9:00am, the Subcommittee of House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled "Electronic Employment Verification Systems: Needed Safeguards to Protect Privacy and Prevent Misuse." The hearing will take place at 2141 Cannon Building. For more information, contact Ur Jaddou, Democratic Counsel at (202) 225-3926, or visit
http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=449.
$16 Million in Equipment, Training Awards
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened the application period for approximately $16 million in equipment and training awards through its 2008 Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP). Since its inception in fiscal year (FY) 2005, more than $104 million in equipment and training has been awarded through CEDAP to law enforcement agencies, fire departments and other emergency responders. CEDAP is a highly competitive program that works in conjunction with other DHS grant programs to help strengthen the regional response and mutual aid capabilities across the nation to increase overall preparedness. CEDAP provides local homeland security partners with essential equipment and equipment training they may not otherwise be able to afford. Eligibility for the CEDAP Program is limited to law enforcement agencies, fire departments and other emergency responder organizations with specific financial and capability needs. Equipment and training awards for the FY 2008 CEDAP Program are offered in five categories: extrication devices; thermal imaging, night vision, and video surveillance tools; chemical, biological and radiological detection tools; information technology and risk management tools; and covert vehicle tracking tools.
More information is available at FEMA.gov.
FMCSA Announces Commercial Vehicle Driver Safety Training Grants
On June 2, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it has awarded a total of $1 million in grants to nine technical and community colleges to enhance classroom safety curriculums and behind-the-wheel training courses for students enrolled in commercial driver’s license (CDL) training programs. Eligible entities for the annually-awarded commercial motor vehicle (CMV) grants include accredited public and private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American Tribal Governments, and city, county and state governments. The CMV Operator Training Grant Program, which was established by Congress in 2005 through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), has two goals: (1) to expand the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training to help reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles; and (2) to assist economically-distressed regions of the U.S. by providing workforce training opportunities for qualified individuals to become CMV operators.
View the press release for a list of the institutions that were awarded grants for fiscal year 2008. An announcement regarding application procedures for fiscal year 2009 grants will be posted in late summer 2008 at
www.grants.gov.
Bush Pushes for Biometrics for Identification and Screening
On June 5, President Bush issued a National Security Presidential Directive and Homeland Security Presidential Directive pushing for the use of biometrics for identification and screening to enhance national security.
The directive establishes a framework to ensure that federal executive departments and agencies use mutually compatible methods and procedures in the collection, storage, use, analysis, and sharing of biometric and associated biographic and contextual information of individuals in a lawful and appropriate manner, while respecting their information privacy and other legal rights under U.S. law.
View the directive online for more details.
Paul A. Schneider Confirmed as Deputy Secretary for DHS
On June 5, the Senate confirmed Paul A. Schneider as Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Schneider most recently served as the acting Deputy Secretary and previously as the Under Secretary for Management. Schneider began his 40-year career in the federal government as a project engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. His extensive experience includes such challenging positions as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition and the Senior Acquisition Executive of the National Security Agency. He also spent several years as a defense and aerospace consultant.
Bush Signs SAFETEA-LU Corrections Bill
On Friday, June 6, President Bush signed into law the bill
H.R. 1195, making a series of technical and substantive changes to the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) surface transportation law. No Public Law (P. L.) number is yet available for H.R. 1195 - the Office of the Federal Register should assign a P.L. number sometime this week.
AAMVA Staff Attends Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee Meeting
Selden Fritschner from AAMVA's Programs Division attended the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee meeting on June 4, 2008, held at Department of Transportation (DOT) Headquarters in Washington, DC. Please see the
trip report for full details.
NHTSA Denies Petition to Require Cell Phone Inoperability While Vehicle is in Motion
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has denied a petition for rulemaking from the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) asking NHTSA to initiate rulemaking to require that any vehicle integrated personal communication systems including cellular phones and text messaging systems be inoperative when the vehicle is in motion. CAS stated that the purpose of the petition was to "make the driving environment safer by reducing the availability of devices that have been proven to be traffic hazards." View the petition denial in the
June 3 Federal Register.
New Advanced Courses at AAMVA University!
AAMVA University will host an advanced series of training courses beginning July 10:
- July 10: 3-Year Calculations of Serious Violations
- July 15: Advanced ACD
- July 17: Improving Data Quality
- July 22: CDLIS Error Detection and Resolution
- July 24: FEWS Basics (Fraud Emergency Warning System)
- July 29: FEWS Advanced
- July 31: FEWS: Jurisdiction Administration
- Aug. 5: UNI Basics
- Aug. 7: UNI Advanced A
- Aug. 12: UNI Advanced B
All classes are conducted with live instructors via the web and held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4pm (EDT). There is no fee for AAMVA members. To view course descriptions, go to the training portal at http://aamva.webroom.com. To attend a class each student must be registered on the site and enrolled into each course (there is self-registration/enrollment on the home page of the portal). If you have questions or are having difficulty with your previous log-in ID, e-mail trainer@aamva.org (do not create another log-in ID).
Fraudulent Document Recognition Training Scheduled for August
AAMVA University will conduct Fraudulent Document Recognition (FDR) Level II Training from Aug. 19 to 22 in Columbus, Ohio. This four-day course demonstrates how participants can contribute to fraud prevention efforts. The course combines the material from FDR Level I with a more in-depth look at covert security features. Participants will engage in hands-on experience evaluating various documents using UV lights and magnification loupes to build awareness of altered and counterfeited documents. There is no pre-requisite for this course. For more information, visit the events section of
www.aamva.org or contact Linda Honig at
lhonig@aamva.org or (866) 908-8270.
The cut-off for discounted hotel rates is July 17.Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award for Highway Safety -- Deadline Approaches
The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2008 Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award for Highway Safety is
July 1. The AAMVA Martha Irwin Distinguished Service Award for Safety is presented annually to a member law enforcement jurisdiction, or an individual or organization whose primary function is directly associated with highway and traffic safety efforts. AAMVA member jurisdiction organizations and their employees, whose primary function is motor vehicle or highway safety, are eligible. Nominees will be recognized for actions and programs undertaken after Jan. 1, 1998. Interested jurisdictional members are encouraged to submit nominations to their chief motor vehicle or chief law enforcement administrator who will then submit one nominee per jurisdictional agency to AAMVA headquarters.
Download the nomination forms from the AAMVA Web site. For more information, contact Selden Fritschner, VP Law Enforcement, (703) 908-5855 or
sfritschner@aamva.org.
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