Inside This Issue...

Two of the nation's busiest interstates will receive $11 million in federal funds to help reduce the frustration of truckers looking for parking on congested routes, said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Jim Ray. FHWA chose the East Coast's I-95 and the West's I-5 for the Truck Parking Facilities program because of innovative uses of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technology to provide truckers with real-time information on available parking. The technology will monitor parking availability and transmit the updates to truckers. Both corridors will explore ways to allow truckers to reserve parking spaces ahead of time. Safety & Loss Prevention Management Council members can read more of the story in the upcoming August Safety Bulletin to be published in August and online at http://slpmc.truckline.com.

On June 10, 2008, the Board of Directors of the Unified Carrier Registration Plan (UCR) voted to recommend that the U.S. Department of Transportation keep fees and fee brackets for the 2009 registration year at the same levels as previously set for the 2008 registration year.  Significant to its decision was the Board’s understanding from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that an expedited adjudication process is available in setting 2009 UCR registration fees and fee brackets.  Also influencing the Board’s decision was FMCSA’s notification to the UCR Board of a May 9, 2008 White House Memorandum that except in extraordinary circumstances, that through the end of the current administrations term in office regulations should be proposed no later than June 1, 2008 and final regulations should be issued no later than Nov. 1, 2008.  The UCR Board recognized that if it recommended different fees and fee brackets for 2009, a rulemaking would have been required and that a recommendation had not been made prior to June 1. If the FMCSA approves the recommendation, UCR fees will remain the same for 2009.

The Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved an amendment to the Department of Transportation’s fiscal 2009 budget aimed at halting the U.S.-Mexico trucking pilot program. By a 19-10 vote, the committee added language that would prohibit DOT from using any money to “establish, implement, continue, or take any other action” to operate the pilot program. The amended bill was sent to the Senate floor for a vote. However, leaders in the House have said they do not intend to bring any budget bills to the floor during the remainder of the current session. Before the vote was held on the amendment, Senate Republicans defended the program, saying it was beneficial to business and to the U.S.-Mexican trading relationship. Mexico’s leading trucking association has served notice to U.S. officials that it intends to sue for damages under NAFTA, arguing that the closed border has hurt its industry. The two sides currently are in negotiations before going to a formal arbitration process.

On July 22, 2008 the U.S. Election Assistance Commission delivered a report on state government spending of Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds. The report covers expenditures from April 2003 through December 2007 that are authorized under Sections 101, 102 and 251 of HAVA. States spent 67 percent of the nearly three billion in funding they received under these three sections. HAVA does not specify the year in which the funds must be used, so the roughly $1.2 million (including interest earned) of unspent funds remain available to states. States also received funds under Section 261 of HAVA to address the accessibility of polling places for individuals with disabilities. The EAC's report does not include information about the expenditure of these funds because they are administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The final report may be downloaded at www.eac.gov.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security proposed adding the following system of records to its inventory of records systems, the Non-Federal Entity Data System: certain states, Native American tribes, Canadian provinces and territories, and other non-federal governmental authorities may make available travel documents, such as Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDLs), that may be deemed by the secretary of DHS as denoting identity and citizenship for purposes of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), upon implementation, as mandated by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108-458, 118 Stat. 3638 (2004). It is anticipated that all such documents will utilize facilitative technology such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and contain a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. In certain instances, other non-federal and foreign government authorities may provide to CBP biographical information and photographs that have been voluntarily submitted to the issuing entity by individuals choosing to apply for such travel documents, with the understanding that this information will be provided to DHS and CBP. DHS will use this information to facilitate the validation of travel documents when an individual crosses the border. Comments must be provided by Aug. 25, 2008. The new system of records will be effective Aug. 25, 2008. To submit a comment, visit http://www.regulations.gov.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on July 22 that the new U.S. Passport Card is in full production and is now being distributed. The Passport Card is a convenient, wallet-sized document for land and sea travel between the United States and Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It is not valid for international travel by air. Beginning in June 2009, travelers will be required to present a single Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant document denoting both citizenship and identity when entering the United States through a land or sea border. More than 350,000 Americans pre-ordered the U.S. Passport Cards since the State Department began taking orders on Feb. 1. Over 7,600 cards have already been mailed to advance customers, and all pre-orders are expected to be filled by Sept. 30, 2008. After the initial distribution, the processing time for passport cards should be less than four weeks. Customers will be able to track the progress of their passport card application online beginning in mid-August. For information on how to apply for a U.S. Passport Card or the traditional passport book, visit travel.state.gov.

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus released a new version of a tax “extenders” bill late Thursday, July 25, trying again to break months of stalemate. The new bill (S 3335) is similar to a previous Baucus measure (S 3125) and a House-passed bill (HR 6049) but has several key differences: it includes a disaster relief package and money for the Highway Trust Fund, and it does not include a provision on certain deductions for lawyers that Republicans had opposed. It also includes provisions intended to win over particular Republicans. Baucus’ news release mentions that the bill includes language sought by Pete V. Domenici (R-NM), that would require insurance companies to offer mental health coverage that is on par with basic medical coverage. Senate Democratic leaders have said they want to take up the bill sometime next week.

On July 25, 2008 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced approximately $1.8 billion in grants to bolster state, urban area and tribal government efforts to improve the nation’s readiness, response and recovery capabilities for both natural and man-made emergencies. The department will award approximately $3 billion in Fiscal Year 2008, and has provided roughly $25 billion in grants since Fiscal Year 2002 to state, local, and tribal governments, as well as nonprofit organizations. The awards announced include five grant programs that support objectives outlined in the National Preparedness Guidelines, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Framework, and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Visit www.fema.gov/grants for additional information on Fiscal Year 2008 preparedness grants.

Mark your calendars; National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is Aug. 24-30, 2008!

Many jurisdictions have availed themselves to the Online Community Directory since its introduction. They have found that current and accurate member contact information is just a few mouse clicks away! Because the traditional, static directory available in PDF format requires manual intervention, it quickly becomes inaccurate despite frequent updates. Therefore, the PDF version is slated to be removed from the Web site on Aug. 15, 2008. If you haven't yet used the new directory, you will find that it is both intuitive and user friendly. A brief online tutorial is available that will show you how to quickly and easily get contact information for jurisdiction, associate, agency and individual members. The tutorial can be found at http://www.aamva.org/tutorials/OnlineComDirectory.htm. If you have any difficulty with access or have any questions, contact your RVP or AAMVA Member and Conference Services.

The early bird deadline to register for this event is Aug. 15. Click here to register online today to secure the discounted rate of $230 USD for IRP, Inc. Members—and save $50 USD! Be sure to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to network and connect with your colleagues in other jurisdictions and industry.

AAMVA President and CEO Neil Schuster wants to hear from you, the membership. After almost a year at the helm of the AAMVA ship, Schuster's feet are definitely wet. You might even say they're dripping wet with REAL ID and NMVTIS. He's had an opportunity to get up to speed on most AAMVA-related issues and he would like to hear your thoughts and opinions on the same. So, whether or not you're dripping wet with NMVTIS or REAL ID, you can "Ask Neil" anything and he'll answer it in a new online forum. Just send your questions to askneil@aamva.org. And, if you don't have any questions, he's likely to offer his opinion on current issues affecting the AAMVA community. So, check back often! Submit your questions today!

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Minimum and Maxim Liability Insurance Limits (Ends 08/04/2008)