Committee Plans for 2006 Fall Forum – New Faces, New Issues, New Challenges

Registration for the NCSL 2006 Fall Forum is now available online at www.ncsl.org/forum/.  The Fall Forum will be held December 6-8 in San Antonio, Texas.  Housing reservations must be secured by November 13 to receive conference rates.  The Transportation Leaders Meeting Pre-Conference is December 5-6.  A limited number of travel scholarships are available for chairs of state transportation committees.  For more information, including the agenda, please visit www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/tranleadersmtg06.htm.

U.S. DOT Approves Texas Request to Seek Private Funds for Highway

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced October 19 that Texas has been approved to seek private sector funds for work on State Highway 121 outside Dallas.  U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said Texas officials were the first to receive and request authorization for the 1.8 billion needed for work on the highway.  The state will hold a competition to select a single private company to design the project and build the highway using Private Activity Bonds.  Peters added that the Department is also contemplating a request from the Texas Department of Transportation for a Transportation Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan of up to $700 million to help pay for the project.  The entire news brief  is located online at www.dot.gov/affairs/dot9906.htm issued by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Public Affairs.

DHS, State Propose Using RFID in Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative IDs

The U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and State are working together to produce the “PASSport card,” part of the People Access Security Service (PASS) System.  This new travel document may incorporate radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, DHS said October 17.  The card is designed to meet the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) which requires citizens of the U.S., Bermuda, Mexico and Canada to have a passport or other designated document that establishes the bearer’s nationality and identity for entry or re-entry into the U.S. The proposed PASSport would serve as an alternative to a traditional passport book for use by U.S. citizens crossing land borders between U.S., Canada and Mexico. The card would most benefit frequent border crossers between these countries, according to the department.  NCSL’s WHTI policy is located at www.ncsl.org/statefed/econdev.htm#WHTI.  The proposed regulations on the PASSport card are available at http://www.regulations.gov/ for a 60-day comment period.

NCSL Briefs Hill Staff on Real ID Act Costs

NCSL, the National Governors Association (NGA), and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) estimated the costs to states over a 5-year period for complying with the Real ID Act.  On September 21, the Executive Directors of all three organizations held a press conference to announce and discuss the $11.1 billion price tag.  The study is available at www.ncsl.org/standcomm/scbudg/REALIDANALYSIS_Sept06.htm.  On October 26, NCSL, NGA, and AAMVA lobbying staff conducted a Hill briefing for Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and personal office staff from both sides of the aisle on the study’s findings and recommendations.  For more information, contact NCSL State-Federal staff Molly Ramsdell (molly.ramsdell@ncsl.org) or Jeremy Meadows (jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org).

Committee Launches Newsletter

This is the first issue of the Transportation Committee’s Transport Report newsletter.  We encourage any suggestions or comments about style, format, and content;  we welcome your article ideas.  Transport Report is our ‘working title’ and Committee Officers and Staff welcome input and recommendations for a creative and appropriate name for this periodic newsletter.  Submit your thoughts to Chris Coleman (christopher.coleman@ncsl.org).   Regrettably, the Committee is not able to offer a cash prize for the chosen suggestion, but public acclaim is assured.